Paisano: German Potato Salad

As they say, I've been around the stove a few times.

Well, actually, I've never heard anyone say that. But you get my gist: my car could use a coat of paint, or that coffee's starting to jell, or don't teach your grandmother to suck pomegranates because the seeds get caught in her dentures. All of which is to say that traditions are always different.

Over the years I've essayed a lot of so-called traditional recipes such as paella, jerk chicken, choucroute, pasta carbonara, lamb daube, and so on. Often I've followed recipes from natives fairly closely (allowing for differences in available ingredients) only to have someone write that: "No! No! No! I grew up in Hungary and we never put mushrooms in paprikash!"

The thing about traditional recipes is there are as many traditions as there are cooks. Fine, so your grandmother never used mushrooms, but Barbara's grandmother did and I liked the sound of Barbara's grandmother's recipe. Sure, there are some things that are obviously non-traditional. Things not part of the culinary heritage such as soy sauce in an Italian tomato sauce, but on the other hand, anchovy paste is common in red sauce and does exactly the same thing soy sauce would adding umami and a bit of salt.

So here's my recipe for German potato salad. The bacon and vinegar seem to be highly traditional. Sometimes sugar is added and dill isn't uncommon. I don't like the sugar - it jangles me the wrong way - but I do like dill. Sadly the grocer didn't have any when I made this so I skipped it. The sour cream is, I think, completely my idea.

German Hot Potato Salad
Serves 6.

1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes -- cut into 3/4-inch chunks
6 strips bacon
1/2 md red onion -- diced (about 1 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c sour cream

Cook potatoes in a sauce pan or microwave until tender. Drain and set aside.

Cook bacon in a large skillet until barely crisp. Drain on a paper towel then coarsely chop.

Add onions and potatoes to skillet and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and onions are browned. Add vinegar and reduce to almost nothing. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

In an alternate life, the Paisano is Kevin Weeks: a Gather food correspondent, personal chef, cooking teacher, and writer in Knoxville, Tennessee who spends too many hours on his feet, cooking. "Paisano" the column focuses on peasant dishes from around the world, Paisano the character is fictional. To read more of Kevin's writings or connect to him click here.His blog,Seriously Good, is read by 100,000 cooks a month and in addition he writes a weekly column for   Spot-On  and is the Guide for Cooking for Two at About.com.