Spicy Cajun Potato Salad

Brayden is seventy weeks old. Hadley is three weeks. The first February weekend in Tulsa is mild — the high was sixty-two on Saturday and fifty-eight on Sunday. Aunt Linda and Roy have settled into the Residence Inn rhythm. Harper is sleeping in five-hour stretches at night with Justin doing the four-AM feed. The whole Albright situation is stable.

The spicy Cajun potato salad is a summer-cafe-menu development project Mama and I have been working on this week. Mama is adding a small Cajun-influenced section to the cafe’s summer menu for 2023 — the Cajun-section is a small experiment to expand the cafe’s flavor profile beyond the standard American-comfort baseline. The potato salad is the first item we are developing for the section.

The recipe is red potatoes (cooked whole, peeled, diced), tossed in a Cajun-spiced mayonnaise dressing (mayo, mustard, white vinegar, hot sauce, smoked paprika, Cajun spice blend), finished with chopped celery, sweet red bell pepper, scallion, and chopped hard-boiled egg. The salad is bright, spicy, and visually striking against the cafe’s traditional menu items.

Sunday I made a test batch at the apartment. The seasoning level was right on the first try. Dustin had two helpings. Brayden had a small portion of plain potato (no dressing, no spice). The recipe is ready for Mama’s cafe-test next Wednesday.

Aunt Linda’s small twice-weekly Tulsa-visits continue. She arrives at two PM. She stays for two hours. She holds Brayden (and later helps with both kids). She drinks the small cup of coffee I keep ready. We talk through the small week’s family-news. The small visits are the small social-thread that connects the Tulsa-apartment-life to the small Sapulpa-extended-family.

Brayden’s small developmental milestones have been arriving on the small typical-schedule. The pediatrician has been pleased at the small monthly check-ins. The small baby-and-now-toddler life continues to be the small foreground of the small family-of-three rhythm.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 lbs small red or Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Boil the potatoes. Place potato chunks in a large pot and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 15—18 minutes, until fork-tender but not falling apart. Drain and spread on a sheet pan to cool for 10 minutes.
Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, apple cider vinegar, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and cayenne until smooth and well combined.
Combine the vegetables. Add the celery, green onions, and red bell pepper to the dressing. Stir to coat.
Fold in the potatoes and eggs. Add the cooled potatoes and chopped hard-boiled eggs to the bowl. Gently fold everything together until evenly dressed, being careful not to break up the potatoes too much.
Season and chill. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning as needed. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving to let the flavors meld. Garnish with fresh parsley just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spicy Cajun Potato Salad