Recipe

Potato Salad with Fennel and Shallot Relish and Bacon

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Potato Salad with Fennel and Shallot Relish and Bacon

Photo by AntoniaJames

  • This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Potato Salad
    This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Picnic Dish
  • A&M's Testing Notes: This salad is packed with appealing flavors -- bacon enriches the dressing, the fennel relish lends tartness and crunch, and the herbs and sauteed celery soften the edges. AntoniaJames has...

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  • Chef

    AntoniaJames's Notes: This is a variation of what my mother always called “German Potato Salad,” one of my favorite dishes when I was growing up. I've included a recipe for Fennel Relish, but I often drain and...

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Serves 4

The Potato Salad:

One recipe of Fennel and Shallot Relish (or less, to taste) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/4 cup finely diced celery (optional), plus a few celery leaves, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient

1 pound of small red and/or white potatoes Ask a question about this ingredient

3 slices natural bacon Ask a question about this ingredient

Olive oil to taste (optional) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 teaspoon coarse brown mustard (optional) Ask a question about this ingredient

1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (if necessary) Ask a question about this ingredient

Salt and pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient

3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or minced chives, or both Ask a question about this ingredient

1-2 tablespoons vinegar, if necessary Ask a question about this ingredient

  1. Scrub and put the potatoes, unpeeled, into a pot that's large enough to cover them with 4 inches of cold water. Cook until just tender.

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  2. When the potatoes are cooked, turn off the heat but leave them in the pan with the hot water. Take them out, one at a time, to do the following: Cut each potato into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. They should be hot while you are cutting them. (Using a small spoon in my left hand to hold each potato steady, I cut them on a large dinner plate and leave them on the plate while slicing the others.) Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of vinegar on the slices after each potato has been cut. This allows the potatoes to absorb the vinegar while still hot. I use a tiny pitcher or my OXO 1/4 cup measure for this. Some of the peel may come loose, but don't worry about it.

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  3. While the potatoes are cooking, sauté the bacon in a skillet large enough to hold the potatoes and the fennel. While the bacon is cooking, chop the herbs.

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  4. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and drain all but two or three tablespoons of the bacon fat. (You can remove it all and use olive oil, if you prefer.) Coarsely chop the bacon into 1-4 to 1/2 inch pieces.

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  5. If you are using celery, add it to the skillet and heat very briefly. Deglaze the pan over low heat very briefly, using 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar from the fennel relish. If you don't have that much left after sprinkling it on the potatoes, add some fresh vinegar. Turn off the heat.

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  6. Add mustard, to taste, and stir. If the mustard or the vinegar from the fennel is too sharp for your taste, add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Be careful not to cook this mixture too much, as it will be the dressing for the potatoes, so you don't want much to evaporate.

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  7. Add the fennel relish and stir well over a low heat. Add the bacon and parsley (plus the chopped celery leaves and fennel leaves, if you are using them). Toss to combine. Turn off the heat.

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  8. Test for salt and add some, if necessary. Add freshly ground pepper, if you like.

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  9. Finally, add the potato slices and very gently toss. They'll be rather fragile, so please be careful.

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  10. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can make this ahead, but just make sure that it's at room temperature when you serve it.

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  11. Enjoy!!!

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Fennel and Shallot Relish:

1 small fennel bulb (large enough to make one cup when finely chopped) Ask a question about this ingredient

1/3 cup cup champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar, if you prefer) Ask a question about this ingredient

1 large pinch of salt Ask a question about this ingredient

1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon maple syrup Ask a question about this ingredient

  1. Peel, remove the tops and hard bottom from, and finely chop the fennel bulb. You should have about one cup, chopped.

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  2. Chop the bright green leaves of the fennel, if there are any, to add with the fresh herbs in the potato salad, and set aside.

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  3. Put the chopped fennel in a small heavy saucepan with the remaining ingredients.

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  4. Simmer for about four minutes, then turn the heat off and let sit for another ten minutes or so.

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  5. Drain and reserve the vinegar, to use in the potato salad.

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  6. Enjoy!!

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10 Comments on Potato Salad with Fennel and Shallot Relish and Bacon

Junepr05 Reply

Merciful Heavens! I'm just seeing this now for the first time. This is a MUST MAKE! Love potatoes and fennel together. If I cook on Sunday for Daddys' Day, I'm going to make this to go with my quickie ribs. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!

2-11_016 Reply

Your fennel and shallot relish became the most wonderful base for our pasta salad tonight~mixed with sliced mushrooms, artichokes, fresh oregano, parsley, and the fennel greens as above, with the cooking vinegar, balsamic vinegar and oil. We had it with greens and BC's chicken, spinach, and feta sausage links. :)

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Mmmm, yummm. Sounds so tasty. Especially that sausage. I want to eat dinner at YOUR house! ;o)

Wedding_pictures_162 Reply

Very nice recipe--great combination of flavors! (I'm not a fan of either potato or green bean salad--yours sounds really good.)

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

Well, thank you. We're not crazy about more conventional potato salads, either. We like this one, though (a lot) . . . . ;o)

Kay_at_lake Reply

I have to confess, I have never cooked with fennel. I believe this recipe will be enough to induce me to do so!

New_years_kitchen_hlc_only Reply

I hope it does! Thanks so much. ;o)

Chocolate_peppermint_truffle_cookies_032 Reply

This looks like a wonderful combination of flavors! I love fennel and we're so lucky to have to much of it at the farmer's markets - I'm looking forward to trying your recipes with it.

Img_0623 Reply

This is a wonderful idea. Definitely more creative than the usual mayonnaise and mustard based recipes. I'm really excited to try this recipe! =)

Teresa_food52 Reply

I love potato salad, the fennel with the Champagne vinegar, terrif! Thank you for sharing the recipe.

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