Bavarian Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat)

I like to think that I like potato salad but the fact is that I am very picky about my potato salad. I used to only know of potato salad made with mayonnaise and boiled egg and I never really cared for the taste. Add to that, several years ago I developed acid reflex and the oil in the mayonnaise really irritates me and it's best that I avoid it as much as I can. I go through bouts of getting hungry for the potato salad, only to ask myself why I craved after the heartburn sets in.

I discovered German potato salad a few years ago and it's a good alternative to the usual mayonnaise potato salad. The German variety contains no mayonnaise, instead, using sweetened vinegar as its base. I can only eat it in small amounts and my family doesn't like it, so I usually end up eating most of it.

While browsing the German Deli website as I often do, I came across a recipe for Bavarian potato salad or kartoffelsalat in German. It looks very promising and I decided to make it. The first batch about a month ago turned out okay but not exactly as the recipe intended. The second batch, this past Christmas, turned out perfectly and everyone loved it.

I did tweak the original recipe slightly. The original called for German pickles, which I did not have on hand and I'm still not sure if they are supposed to be dill or bread & butter pickles. The first time I used bread & butter pickles and they tasted fine but I didn't put enough in. This time I used store brand sweet India relish, which is similar to bread & butter pickles but finely chopped along with chopped cabbage -- you can't really taste the cabbage, so it doesn't make much of a difference. It is slightly more sour than regular relish. I really liked using the relish because it's already chopped and ready to go without a fuss. The relish really made this potato salad go from good to great.

I had my doubts about this recipe when I saw that beef broth was included. It just sounded very strange to me but I figured the Germans know what they are doing and I went with it. All of the other ingredients are also in regular German potato salad too and I knew what to expect with them.

What is the difference between Bavaria and Germany? Bavaria is the largest state in Germany and located in the southeast part of the country. Each state has it's own types of food or local variations of dishes found in other states. Bavarians place particular importance on food and drink, drinking an annual average of 170 liters of beer per person. While German potato salad is more sour, Bavarian is sweeter.

Bavarian Potato Salad (Kartoffelsalat) Recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds white potatoes, washed well
4 ounces bacon, crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup pickle relish
2 tablespoons mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pot of salted water (enough to cover the potatoes) on medium heat to cover until tender. Drain, peel, and slice the potatoes.

2. Sautée the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

3. Sautée the onions in the bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat until tender.

4. Add the sugar, vinegar, relish, mustard, and beef broth to the onions and simmer for a few minutes.

5. Pour the onion mixture, bacon, and parsley over the potatoes and gently toss. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm.

Source: germandeli.com