German Potato Salad with Bacon-Vinegar Dressing and Dill

Like most people, I'm also the type of person who needs something to snack on during stressful times. When I have big exams coming up, I usually make myself something that'll last me for at least 2 all-nighters: it could be a batch of brownies, a tray of muffins, a pot of chili, or in this case, a bowl of potato salad. I have one potato salad recipe that I've been using since high school so it was about time I tried something new. Most of the recipes i browsed through were pretty similar; they were mostly mayo-based with only slight changes with the veggies thrown inside. So this time I went another direction and made a warm German potato salad. Vinegar is used instead of mayonnaise, making it an excellent choice for calorie-conscious carb-lovers like me (okay, the bacon probably counterbalances the omitted mayo but you can always choose a thinner cut of meat). One thing you gotta keep in mind though is that the 1/2 a cup of vinegar required may be too poignant for normal people (it was fine for me since i like strong flavors). You can either decrease the amount of vinegar according to taste or neutralize the sour taste with some sugar-- that's a little cooking tip that i got from my mom ;) Other than that, you shouldn't have any problems with this recipe. Hope you enjoy it as much as i did!

German Potato Salad with Bacon-Vinegar Dressing and Dill

from Epicurious.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 kilogram (2 1/4 lbs) potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 6 bacon slices, chopped (or 100 grams bacon bits)
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar [or less, according to taste]
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons coarse-grained mustard
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil potatoes until tip of knife easily pierces center of slices [picture 1]. Transfer to large bowl. Cover with foil.
2. Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until brown, about 3 minutes [picture 2]. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Discard all but 2 1/2 tablespoons drippings.
3. Heat drippings in skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes [picture 3]. Whisk in next 6 ingredients. Simmer until mixture is reduced to 2/3 cup, about 4 minutes [picture 4]. Remove from heat.
4. Add potatoes to the skillet and toss to coat with dressing [picture 5]. Let stand for 3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with chopped bacon and fresh dill; toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper [picture 6, 7, 8].
6. Transfer the potato salad to a serving platter. Serve warm.

German Potato Salad
with Bacon-Vinegar Dressing and Dill