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German-Style Grilled Potato Salad

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

German-Style Grilled Potato Salad

Ingredients

Grilled Potatoes

1 ½ pounds new potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into eighths1 ½ teaspoons table salt 2 tablespoons olive oil ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 4 ounces Bacon (4 slices), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips

Salad

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, toasted in small dry covered skillet until lightly browned, added to red wine vinegar while still hot3 tablespoons red wine vinegar Table salt 4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 small shallots, minced (about 3 tablespoons)⅓ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth1 rib celery, chopped fine (about ¼ cup)2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Before You Begin

When buying potatoes for this salad, the color is less important than the size; make sure they are no longer than 3 inches. You will need about fifteen 10-inch metal or bamboo skewers. Prepare the other salad ingredients while the water heats so that the salad can be made with potatoes that are hot off the grill. Because the potatoes are precooked, they need only brown on the grill; you can grill them alongside your main dish over a charcoal- or gas-grill fire of any intensity.

Instructions

  1. In large Dutch oven or stockpot, bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat; add 1 teaspoon salt.
  2. Following illustrations 2 and 3, skewer potato pieces. Drop skewers into boiling water and boil until paring knife slips in and out of potato easily, about 10 minutes.
  3. While potatoes boil, line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. With tongs, remove skewers to paper towel–lined baking sheet; pat potatoes dry with additional paper towels. Discard paper towels (potatoes can be cooled to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours); brush all sides of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
  4. Place skewers on hot grill; cook, turning skewers twice with tongs, until all sides are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side over high or medium-high heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate no longer than 2 seconds for high heat or 3 to 4 seconds for medium-high heat) or 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium or medium-low heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate 5 to 6 seconds for medium or 7 seconds for medium-low heat).
  5. Slide hot potatoes off skewers into medium bowl and use immediately.
  6. Toss potatoes, 2 tablespoons vinegar with mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
  7. Fry bacon in medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp, about 6 minutes; with slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl with potatoes. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots to fat in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to boil; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Pour mixture over potatoes, add celery, parsley, and salt to taste; toss to combine. Serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature up to 30 minutes; toss before serving.)
German-Style Grilled Potato Salad

German-Style Grilled Potato Salad

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Grilled Potatoes

1 ½ pounds new potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into eighths
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces Bacon (4 slices), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips

Salad

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, toasted in small dry covered skillet until lightly browned, added to red wine vinegar while still hot
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Table salt
4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small shallots, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
⅓ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 rib celery, chopped fine (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Grilled Potatoes

1 ½ pounds new potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into eighths
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces Bacon (4 slices), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips

Salad

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, toasted in small dry covered skillet until lightly browned, added to red wine vinegar while still hot
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Table salt
4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small shallots, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
⅓ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 rib celery, chopped fine (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

Grilled Potatoes

1 ½ pounds new potatoes, 2 to 3 inches long, scrubbed and unpeeled, cut into eighths
1 ½ teaspoons table salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces Bacon (4 slices), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips

Salad

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds, toasted in small dry covered skillet until lightly browned, added to red wine vinegar while still hot
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Table salt
4 slices bacon (about 4 ounces), cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 small shallots, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
⅓ cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 rib celery, chopped fine (about ¼ cup)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

Potatoes grilled on a hot fire turn out burned on the outside and raw on the inside. Potatoes grilled on a moderate fire take forever to cook. We set out to find a better cooking method for our grilled potato salad recipe: We skewered and blanched sliced potatoes before grilling them for just five minutes over high heat. The result was a grilled potato salad recipe with perfectly cooked potatoes.

Before You Begin

When buying potatoes for this salad, the color is less important than the size; make sure they are no longer than 3 inches. You will need about fifteen 10-inch metal or bamboo skewers. Prepare the other salad ingredients while the water heats so that the salad can be made with potatoes that are hot off the grill. Because the potatoes are precooked, they need only brown on the grill; you can grill them alongside your main dish over a charcoal- or gas-grill fire of any intensity.

Instructions

  1. In large Dutch oven or stockpot, bring 4 quarts water to boil over high heat; add 1 teaspoon salt.
  2. Following illustrations 2 and 3, skewer potato pieces. Drop skewers into boiling water and boil until paring knife slips in and out of potato easily, about 10 minutes.
  3. While potatoes boil, line rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. With tongs, remove skewers to paper towel–lined baking sheet; pat potatoes dry with additional paper towels. Discard paper towels (potatoes can be cooled to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, and kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours); brush all sides of potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.
  4. Place skewers on hot grill; cook, turning skewers twice with tongs, until all sides are browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side over high or medium-high heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate no longer than 2 seconds for high heat or 3 to 4 seconds for medium-high heat) or 4 to 5 minutes per side over medium or medium-low heat (you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill grate 5 to 6 seconds for medium or 7 seconds for medium-low heat).
  5. Slide hot potatoes off skewers into medium bowl and use immediately.
  6. Toss potatoes, 2 tablespoons vinegar with mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
  7. Fry bacon in medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp, about 6 minutes; with slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl with potatoes. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots to fat in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to boil; stir in remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Pour mixture over potatoes, add celery, parsley, and salt to taste; toss to combine. Serve. (Can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature up to 30 minutes; toss before serving.)

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