Iowa German Potato Salad

 

Ingredients

For the potatoes

• ▢3 lb yellow potatoes (new or larger baking potatoes)
• ▢2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢1 tsp kosher salt
• ▢½ tsp black pepper

For the vinaigrette

• ▢½ lb bacon
• ▢3 tbsp bacon grease
• ▢1 medium onion diced
• ▢1 cup diced celery
• ▢½ tsp black pepper
• ▢⅔ cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢¼ cup honey
• ▢½ cup chopped parsley
• ▢2 tbsp chopped dill
• ▢2 tbsp chopped tarragon

Instructions 

For the potatoes

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Scrub and wash potatoes and allow to air dry. Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces, approximately ½-inch in size, and place them on two large baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Roast in the preheated oven until a knife inserted into the potato pieces meets no resistance and the outside is browned and crisp, 18-25 minutes. Once the potatoes are roasted, remove them from the oven and set them aside. While roasting, prepare the vinaigrette.

For the vinaigrette

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crisp and browned, 5-8 minutes. Remove the bacon and set it on a towel-lined dish. Pour off the bacon grease and wipe any debris out of the skillet. Add back bacon grease to the skillet and return the skillet to medium heat.
• Add the onion and celery to the hot grease. Sauté until the onion is golden and the celery has softened slightly, 4-6 minutes.
• Add the black pepper, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Simmer and let reduce slightly, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the roasted potatoes to a large bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over the roasted potatoes while the vinaigrette and potatoes are warm to allow the flavor to soak into the potatoes. Add the prepared bacon, chopped parsley, dill, and tarragon. Stir and taste, seasoning for salt and pepper.

Notes

• While it may seem like too much empty space, make sure to use two baking sheets when roasting the potatoes. The space left around each piece of potato will ensure that the potato is able to roast correctly rather than simply steaming while in the oven.
• The potatoes are done roasting when a knife inserted meets no resistance and easily pierces through the outer crust.
• The longer the roasted potatoes and the onion and celery vinaigrette sit and meld together, the more the flavors will be combined.