“Oh, honey. Where I come from, you were judged as a cook not on your soufflés but on your potato salad. They didn’t give out actual blue ribbons, but having your potato salad be the talk of town was prize enough to inspire some pretty intense rivalries. As anyone who has tried and mastered this dish knows, it’s a very basic recipe. What really distinguishes one salad from another is how the home cook navigates restraint and balance. Are you convinced that a dash of yellow mustard or a spoonful of minced onions will elevate your dish? Then go for it. Is your addition a hint of smoked paprika, or a handful of celery seeds that might be invisible to the naked eye but unmistakable on the palate? For me, the perfect balance of pickle relish made or broke the recipe. And I can say with pride that my friends have always rallied for my version of this Southern showstopper.
You can serve this as a starter with added protein such as shrimp or scallops. I also love it served alongside a crab cake or crispy chicken livers. Leftovers can be spread thinly on a slice of bread and topped with a slab of smoked ham to make the most delicious sandwich. One note: The secret to my version of this dish is sweet pickle relish. Southern potato salad calls for sweet pickle relish, not diced cucumbers, dill pickles, or cornichons.” —Alexander Smalls
