Creamy Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 2 pounds red or gold potatoes
• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 celery ribs, diced
• Hide ingredients for 4 green onions, sliced, ⅓ cup chopped Quick-Pickled Onions, or 2 tablespoons grated onion 1 4 green onions, sliced, ⅓ cup chopped Quick-Pickled Onions, or 2 tablespoons grated onion (opens in new tab) 4 green onions, sliced, ⅓ cup chopped Quick-Pickled Onions, or 2 tablespoons grated onion
  • 1 medium yellow or red onion
  • 1 cup distilled white or cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • (1 bay leaf)
  • (1 small dried red chile, seeded)
  • 4 standard, freezer-tray ice cubes (equivalent to ½ cup frozen water)

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Peel, halve through the stem end, and trim the ends off: 1 medium yellow or red onion
  2. Very thinly slice lengthwise (pole-to-pole). Place the onion in a small saucepan with: 1 cup distilled white or cider vinegar; 1 teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon sugar; (1 bay leaf); (1 small dried red chile, seeded)
  3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer immediately to a bowl and stir in: 4 standard, freezer-tray ice cubes (equivalent to ½ cup frozen water)
  4. Stir to melt the ice cubes and cool the pickle. Use immediately or transfer to a clean pint jar or container and store refrigerated for up to 1 month.
• Hide ingredients for (3 Hard-Boiled Eggs, diced) 1 (3 Hard-Boiled Eggs, diced) (opens in new tab) (3 Hard-Boiled Eggs, diced)
  • Unshelled eggs, from the refrigerator
  • Cold water
  • Unshelled eggs, from the refrigerator

  Sub-recipe steps

  1. Place in a pot in a single layer: Unshelled eggs, from the refrigerator
  2. Cover them by 1 inch with: Cold water
  3. Bring to a boil over high heat. Promptly remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the eggs stand: 8 to 12 minutes for large eggs, or 11 to 15 minutes for extra-large and jumbo eggs (6 to 10 minutes for small and medium eggs). For room temperature eggs, subtract 1 minute from these cooking times. The lower amount of time will yield eggs that have set whites and barely set yolks, while the higher amount of time will yield eggs that are hard-cooked all the way through. When the eggs are done, run cold water over them to stop the cooking.
  4. To peel hard-boiled eggs, crack the shell all over and roll the egg gently between the palms of your hands to free the thin tough skin from the egg and make shelling easier. Find the air cell and start peeling from there, peeling away the inner membrane along with the shell. Rinse the eggs after shelling to remove any shell fragments.
  5. To slice eggs smoothly, dip a knife blade into water before slicing. Hard-boiled eggs are best stored in their shells in the refrigerator. A peeled hard-boiled egg should be used within a few days.
  6. STEAM METHOD
  7. Have ready: Unshelled eggs, from the refrigerator
  8. If using a steamer insert, gently place the eggs inside, bring 1½ inches of water to a rapid boil in a pot, and fit the insert onto the pot. If using a steamer basket, place it inside the pot, bring the water to a boil, and gently place the eggs in the basket with long-handled tongs. Cover immediately and steam the eggs on high heat for 8 minutes for large eggs with a set white and fudgy yolk, or 11 minutes for eggs that are firm all the way through. For room temperature eggs, subtract 1 minute from these cooking times. As the eggs cook, fill a bowl with ice water. Immediately transfer the eggs to the ice water and cool completely. Peel as directed in I.
• (¼ to ½ cup minced parsley, watercress, or arugula)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice or red wine vinegar
• (1 to 2 tablespoons capers, pickle relish, diced dill pickles, chopped olives, or chopped pickled peppers)
• (1 tablespoon whole-grain or yellow mustard)
• (2 teaspoons prepared horseradish)
• Salt and black pepper to taste