The Hirshon Viennese Potato Salad – Wiener Erdäpfelsalat

Wiener Erdäpfelsalat Image Used Under Creative Commons License From kitchenettedc.com

Citizens, TFD himself is of Austrian descent on the matrilineal side of a diverse family tree – to me, Vienna shines as a cultural jewel in the crown of Europe!

The food of Austria is renowned for its ability to use sometimes humble ingredients and elevating them to a whole new plane of subtle elegance.

This dish of potato salad does exactly that – combining herbs and shallots, pickles and a vinaigrette with the surprising addition of beef stock to refine this dish into its ultimate form. The use of pumpkin seed oil is both classically Austrian and adds a final dose of flavor.

My somewhat eccentric addition of thyme flowers can easily be replaced with chopped fresh thyme – but the purple flowers nestled in a creamy ivory foundation are both beautiful and delicious!

Serve as a side for schnitzel or wurst and I can personally guarantee it will be the hit of your next picnic or BBQ as well!

Battle on – The Generalissimo

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500-600 grams (1.1-1.3 lbs) small waxy potatoes

150 ml (⅔ cup) hot beef stock

2 Tbsp tarragon white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp pumpkin seed oil (preferred) – buy it from Amazon here or use vegetable oil

1 Tbsp powdered sugar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 Tbsp minced shallot

3 cornichons, minced, about 1 tablespoon (if you can’t find cornichons, use dill pickle)

3 Tbsp chopped chives

1 tablespoon thyme flowers (optional) or chopped fresh thyme (also optional)

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For this recipe small waxy potatoes are recommend. Waxy so they will stay whole when cooked rather than fall apart, and small potatoes such that the slices will have just the right size as well as look good on the plate. If you have large potatoes, cut them into halves or quarters first.

The traditional preparation is to steam or boil the potatoes without peeling them first, plunging them briefly in cold water, and then removing the peel and slicing them while they are still warm, cut into ¼ inch-thick slices.

Combine the vinegars, oil, powdered sugar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Whisk to emulsify.

Put the sliced potatoes in a large bowl. Add the dressing while the potatoes are still warm.

Also add the beef stock when the potatoes are still warm.

Stir to mix. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, powdered sugar, oil, white wine vinegar, or mustard.

Add most of the shallots, cornichons and chives.

Stir again to mix. Allow to marinate for about half an hour at room temperature.

Serve garnished with the remaining chives, cornichons, shallots and thyme flowers, if using.