I wanted to make a potato salad but something about the idea of heavy, goopy mayo was not appealing to me with this heat. I remembered a Rachael Ray recipe I once saw where she used capers and celery in an olive oil and vinegar dressing – yum. I spiced it up with a few thai chilies, which I have a zillion of right now and will be putting in everything. These are not for the faint of heart – start with 2 and work your way up.
Potato Salad with Chilies, Celery, and Capers
Serves 6-8
Just the Tip / Inspired by Rachael Ray
What I used:
- 2 1/2 pounds small yukon gold potatoes, sliced into 1/8″ in slices
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar (red wine would work too)
- 3 tbsp drained capers
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (I used scallions since I was out of red onion)
- 2-3 thai chilies, thinly sliced
- 1 celery heart and greens, chopped
- salt, pepper
What I did:
- Add the potatoes to a pot of cold, salted water and bring up to a boil. Boil for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the hot pot.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Add the sliced onion, capers, chilies, lemon juice and zest, and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the potatoes have been drained, pour the dressing over the warm potatoes, stir in the celery stalk and leaves, and season with a good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve warm or cold.
Just the Tip 