Austrian Potato Salad

I have never eaten one bite of traditional potato salad. My mayo aversion combined with cold potatoes just never made it an appetizing entrée.  I tried Austrian potato salad first in Berlin...and I was hooked.  Warm, vinegary potatoes, it's like a dream.  Growing up, we always had a cruet of apple cider vinegar on the table.  My favorite was to pour it over broccoli or on a baked potato...so good.  This potato salad recipe is from Wolfgang Puck, who I think is probably the most famous Austrian chef out there.  For some reason, my fingerling potato bag had a couple purple potatoes inside, which has never happened before.  The pink color couldn't get Miss F to try them, she is steadfast in her potato hatred.  And of course C wouldn't try them either because of the vinegar smell.  Thankfully, my parents were over for dinner to help me polish them off!

Austrian Potato Salad

1 ½ pounds small fingerling potatoes, washed
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 ½ tablespoons kosher salt
½ small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup canola, safflower, or peanut oil
½ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, thyme sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Add enough cold water to cover completely. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced easily with a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife, about 10 minutes.

Drain the potatoes. While they are still hot, peel them with a small, sharp knife, protecting your hand from the heat with a folded kitchen towel. As each potato is peeled, cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, letting the slices fall into a mixing bowl. Add to the hot potato slices the onion, remaining salt, sugar, pepper, vinegar, and oil. Stir gently but thoroughly with a large spoon to combine the ingredients.

Before serving, heat the broth in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the potato salad and stir it gently just until the potatoes are thoroughly heated, serve.

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