Smoked Potato Salad
Yes, there are a bazillion ways to make potato salad, but this recipe ups the ante by smoking the potatoes. You can also use your favorite potato salad recipe and replace those plain ol’ boring boiled potatoes with these smoked potatoes.
Makes 8 servings
Takes 1½ hours
- Potatoes
- 10 small red potatoes, peels left on,chopped into bite-size pieces
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil
- Dressing
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- Zest and juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1. Prep. To make the potatoes, place them in a saucepan and add cold water to cover them by at least ½ inch. Add 2 pinches of salt. Fill a large bowl with ice and water and set it nearby. Bring the water in the saucepan to a boil and cook the potatoes until they hit about 150°F in the center. You do not want to cook them all the way through. Test more than one chunk. Drain and cool them immediately in the ice water. Drain them again after they’ve cooled for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a bowl and coat them lightly with the oil.
2. Fire up. Get your smoker up to 225°F or set up the grill for two-zone cooking and shoot for about 225°F on the indirect side. Place a grill topper (see page 103) in the indirect zone and lightly oil it. Add wood and get some smoke rolling.
3. Cook. Gently slide the potatoes onto the topper and space them out so they do not overlap. Close the lid and smoke the potatoes for about 45 minutes, then transfer them to a platter and let cool to room temperature. You can smoke them a day ahead.
4. To make the dressing, in a serving bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Fold in the potatoes, trying not to smush them. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Stash the salad in your fridge for a couple of hours before serving to let the flavors meld; overnight is even better.
5. Serve. Remove the salad from the fridge 30 minutes before serving to let it warm slightly.