Potato Salad With Homemade Mayonnaise

Potato salad is highly personal, writes Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock in The Gift of Southern Cooking (Knopf, 2003). At a Southern church supper there might well be a half-dozen different potato salads, reflecting the tastes of various cooks — and a bit of competitive spirit.

This salad is best eaten the day it is made, as the onions get stronger over time. Since the potatoes absorb the mayonnaise and seasonings while they cool, you want to mix in more mayonnaise at the beginning than seems necessary. Make sure to taste and adjust seasonings just before serving, too.

This makes a large batch (perfect for a fried chicken picnic) so just cut in half if you want less.

Potato Salad

5 large all-purpose potatoes
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
6 to 8 grinds black pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 hardboiled egg yolks, pushed through a fine sieve
1 1/2 to 2 cups homemade mayonnaise (recipe below)

1. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly and put them in a pot. Cover well with cold water and cook over moderate heat, partially covered, until they are tender when pierced with a knife but not bursting and mushy.

2. Drain and set aside to cool slightly. When slightly cooked, peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. You should have about 8 cups.

3. Toss the cubed potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cider vinegar, salt, black pepper and chopped onion over them.

4. Using two large forks or spoons, gently toss the potatoes to distribute and mix in the seasonings.

5. In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the sieved egg yolks and 1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise. Add this to the potatoes and carefully mix in as before. Add more mayonnaise if needed, and taste carefully for salt and pepper.

Homemade Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or light olive oil or a combination
1 tablespoon hot water

1. Put the vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and mustard into a bowl and whisk or stir until the salt and mustard are dissolved.

2. Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth.

3. Add the oil drop by drop at first, and then in a slow steady stream, whisking or stirring constantly until all of the oil has been incorporated and you have a very thick emulsion.

4. Stir in the hot water until smooth. Refrigerated homemade mayonnaise will keep for up to 1 week.

Pregnant women and people with a compromised immune system should avoid eating raw eggs.