Tags
ball park mustard, Carrots, Celery, cider vinegar, dill pickle juice, dill pickles, dillweed, olive oil, onion, Potatoes
I was eating a dill pickle the other day, and thinking about potato salad. Who knows why? But, that was what I was doing. And the more this thought wandered aimlessly around my head, the more ideas came to me…this salad it the result of that wander. I love mayonnaise. For me, there is little that isn’t made better with the addition of mayonnaise. And I love mayo-based potato salad. But, to my astonishment, not everyone shares this culinary love. Therefore, the ever accommodating Goddess, decided to make a non-mayo potato salad that would make everyone happy. So, we’re back to that dill pickle. I decided I want to add both dill pickles and dillweed. Can you have too much dill? Yes, according to others, you can. That meant I needed to be more judicious than I might normally be. I also like to add cooked carrots to potato salad. They offer both color and a bit of sweetness. And salt. Salt is very important with any starch, particularly potatoes (and pasta, but that’s another story!). I always add vinegar to potato salad, but as I was about to pour the dill pickle brine down the sink, a light bulb went off…why not use the dill pickle juice, instead of vinegar? I’m keeping that light bulb around, because that pickle juiced worked like a charm.
As to the potatoes, I used 7 in total—2 red skinned, 3 russets, 2 Yukon Gold. I boiled them with their skins, and removed them as they became tender. Just let them sit on the counter for about 5 minutes, then peel them when you can handle them. As to the pickles and pickle juice, I think garlic dills could be interesting, but I used hamburger dill slices, as that’s what I had on hand.
Okay…here we go. As I mentioned above, 
I boiled the potatoes, then added the diced carrots to the boiling potato water and cooked them until just tender, about 5 minutes. While the carrots cooked, I diced the potatoes. You want them to still be very warm. Fish out the carrots and add them to the diced potatoes. Toss gently to combine. Now, pour the pickle juice over the potatoes and carrots, beginning with the lesser amount; add the olive oil, if using (I did). Toss again. I let the mixture cool for about 10-15 minutes. 
Taste it. If you think the “dill pickle” flavor and the salt levels are where you want them, then add the celery, onions and diced dill pickles and stir again. If you want a bit more sharpness, add the cider vinegar or add a bit more pickle juice. It’s purely a matter of personal taste. So you’re going to be tasting a lot! Add the mustard (I just squeezed it over the whole mess), the dillweed and grind black pepper over everything. Give it a good stir, taste; it should taste just slightly too sharp and too salty. Cover and chill for at least a couple of hours before serving. I think it’s best eaten after the salad sits on the counter for about 30 minutes. Again, that’s your choice. Will keep at least 1 week in the fridge.
I gave you the proportions that worked for me, but feel free to alter them to your liking. Remember, it’s your potato salad!
Take-Along, Dill Pickle-Mustard Potato Salad (No Mayo!)
- 6-7 moderately sized potatoes (maybe 2 pounds?–see NOTE)
- 1/3-1/2 cup dill pickle juice (I didn’t measure, I just poured!)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (you can omit this, but it’s better with it)
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 sweet onion, finely diced (about 2/3 cup)
- 1 cup dill pickles, diced
- 1-3 teaspoons cider vinegar (optional–you may not need this)
- 1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt (depends how salty the pickles/pickle juice are)
- 1-2 tablespoons ballpark yellow mustard (yes, the vibrant yellow stuff!)
- 2-3 tablespoons finely minced fresh dillweed
- Freshly ground black pepper
Boil the potatoes (I left the peels on) until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. You may need to remove them from the water, as they may cook at different speeds. Let them sit until you can handle them. Then remove the skins and diced the potatoes. You want them to still be very warm. When you remove the final potato, add the diced carrots and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Fish out the carrots and add them to the diced potatoes. Toss gently to combine. Pour the pickle juice over the potatoes and carrots, beginning with the lesser amount; add the olive oil, if using. Toss again. Let the mixture cool for about 10-15 minutes. Taste. If you can taste the pickle juice and the salt seems where you want it, then add the celery, onions and diced dill pickles. Stir again. But, if you think the “dill pickle” flavor and the salt levels are good, but you want a bit more sharpness, add the cider vinegar. Or if you think the pickle flavor isn’t where you would like it, add a bit more pickle juice. At this point, it’s purely a matter of taste. But these are the proportions that worked for me. Add the mustard (I just squeezed it over the whole mess), the dillweed and grind black pepper over everything. Give it a good stir, taste and chill for at least a couple of hours before serving. I think it’s best eaten after the salad sits on the counter for about 30 minutes. Again, that’s your choice. Will keep at least 1 week in the fridge.
NOTE: For me, moderately sized potatoes should be about 3-inches X 2-inches. I used 7 in total—2 red skinned, 3 russets, 2 Yukon Gold. I boiled them with their skins, then peeled them after they sat for about 5 minutes. As to the pickles and pickle juice, I think garlic dills could be interesting, but I used hamburger dill slices, as that’s what I had on hand.
Take-Along, Dill Pickle-Mustard Potato Salad (No Mayo!) Recipe©Marcia Lahens 2018. All rights reserved.
This would be delicious with some cooked bacon, diced or julienned ham or cooked sausage added. Very Octoberfest-ish, right?
Goddess Cooks 