Thermos Potato and Chive Salad (Served Warm or Cold)
English
Chapter 2: Catholic School Lunches and Midday Comforts
In the chaotic, reverberating cafeterias of mid-century parochial schools, amidst a sea of plaid and wax-paper sandwiches, a heavy metal thermos was a rare vessel of maternal mercy. Most held lukewarm soup, but unscrewing the lid to find a steaming, buttery, coarsely crushed potato salad was a premier lunchtime luxury. This isn't the tragically sweet, pickle-laden deli salad of modern America; it is an Irish-American hybrid that respects the potato. Dressed piping hot so the butter and mayonnaise melt straight into the starch, it delivers a rustic, unapologetic comfort. Whether packed steaming for a bleak Tuesday or chilled for a late summer picnic, it is a brilliant, straightforward piece of working-class engineering.
Before you start
Preheat the thermos with boiling water if serving hot.
Fill your empty thermos to the brim with boiling water, seal it, and let it sit for ten minutes while you cook to neutralize the cold steel.
Dump the water and wipe the thermos dry right before packing.
Immediately spoon the steaming hot potato salad into the dry, preheated thermos and seal tightly to keep the lunch piping hot for hours.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed2 lbs
- unsalted butter at room temperature2 tablespoons
- real mayonnaise1/2 cup
- sour cream1/4 cup
- Dijon mustard1 teaspoon
- fresh chives finely chopped1/2 cup
- kosher salt1.5 teaspoons
- freshly cracked black pepper1/2 teaspoon
Method
- 01
Boil the potatoes until they offer absolutely zero resistance.
Place the cubed potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water by an inch, add a heavy pinch of salt, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- 02
Drain and evaporate the residual moisture.
Toss the drained potatoes back into the hot, empty pot over low heat for about a minute so your dressing does not turn watery.
- 03
Toss the hot potatoes with the butter.
Off the heat, fold in the room-temperature butter while the potatoes are steaming so the fat melts directly into the starch.
- 04
Mash the remaining wet ingredients into a coarse and rustic texture.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon, salt, and pepper, using a masher to crush them roughly into the potatoes.
- 05
Fold in the chives and adjust the seasoning.
Stir in the chives gently and taste the mixture; potatoes need a heavy hand with salt, so do not be timid.
Notes
Cold temperatures mute flavors dramatically.
If serving cold, you will likely need to stir in an extra pinch of salt, a splash of milk to loosen the chilled starches, and a fresh sprinkle of chives to wake it back up.
Store cold salad properly to avoid a skin.
Press a piece of plastic wrap directly against the surface of the salad and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.
From The Irish American Table.