By Week 425. Year 9. Tommy is 42. A quiet spring week. Work, school, dinner. The ordinary machinery of a family that has been running for 9 years of documented life and longer before that. The food was simple — shrimp remoulade — and the simple was enough and the enough was everything.
Made shrimp remoulade this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The spoon doesn't stop.
Shrimp remoulade has Louisiana in its bones, and so does a good potato salad — the kind that sits cool in the bowl while the rest of the table fills up with warmth and noise. Week 425 didn’t ask for anything complicated, and neither does this recipe. It’s the side dish I make when I want the meal to feel like something without making it an event, the thing that rounds out the plate and makes everyone feel like somebody was thinking about them before they even sat down.
The BEST Potato Salad!
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 tsp salt (for boiling water)
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp celery salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped (optional)
- Paprika, 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 and cook 15–18 minutes until fork-tender. Drain and spread on a baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, yellow mustard, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery salt, and black pepper until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine. Add the cooled potatoes, chopped eggs, celery, and red onion to the bowl with the dressing. Fold gently until everything is evenly coated, being careful not to mash the potatoes.
- Taste and adjust. Season with additional salt, pepper, or a splash more vinegar as needed. Stir in fresh dill or parsley if using.
- Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to let the flavors come together. Garnish with paprika just before bringing it to the table.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 290 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 420mg