Best 3 Julia Childs American Style Potato Salad Recipes

Julia Child's American-style potato salad is a timeless classic that has become a staple at picnics, potlucks, and backyard barbecues. This delightful dish is a symphony of flavors and textures that perfectly captures the essence of American summer cooking. The tender potatoes, creamy mayonnaise dressing, and tangy mustard create a harmonious blend that is both comforting and refreshing. With its iconic red, white, and blue presentation, Julia Child's potato salad is a dish that is sure to impress your family and friends.

Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!

JULIA'S AMERICAN-STYLE POTATO SALAD

Julia's American-Style Potato Salad image

Provided by Julia Child

Categories Salad Egg Onion Potato Side Fourth of July Picnic Kid-Friendly Backyard BBQ Lunch Mayonnaise Vinegar Bacon Family Reunion Lettuce Sugar Conscious Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Small Plates

Yield About 6 cups, serving 4 to 6

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, or other waxy, boiling potatoes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup chicken stock or potato-cooking water
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 or 4 slices crisply cooked bacon, chopped or crumbled
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped pickle, sweet or dill
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced thin
3 tablespoons or so finely chopped fresh chives or scallions, including a bit of their tender green
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
1 cup or so mayonnaise, homemade if possible
Sour cream (optional)
For garnishing
Crisp whole red-leaf or other lettuce leaves
Canned red pimiento, diced; sliced hard-boiled eggs; tomato quarters; parsley sprigs (optional)

Steps:

Peel the potatoes and slice each one lengthwise in half, or in quarters if very large; then cut crosswise into half-round or quarter-round slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
Put the slices in a saucepan with water just to cover and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. It is essential that they be just cooked through. Bite into a slice or two to be very sure. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the potatoes into a colander, but save a cup of the cooking liquid for dressing the potatoes. Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Stir the cider vinegar with ⅓ cup of the potato water or chicken stock and drizzle this over the potato pieces, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 minutes to absorb the liquid.
Add the prepared onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and season carefully to taste. Top with ⅔ cup of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise and a bit of sour cream) and, with a large rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well blended. Taste the salad and add more salt, pepper, or mayonnaise as needed.
Cover the salad and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so before serving. If it is refrigerated longer, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning again.
To serve, line a bowl or a platter with red-leaf lettuce or other greens, and mound the salad on top. Decorate at the last moment, if you wish, with any or all of the optional garnishes.

JULIA CHILD'S AMERICAN-STYLE POTATO SALAD

Julia Child's American-Style Potato Salad image

This is one of my favorite potato salads! I make this for parties all the time & get asked for the recipe. I have quite a few friends that claim to not like potato salad or anything with mayonnaise but they gobble this up.

Provided by Trnquilit

Categories Potato

Time 1h55m

Yield 6 cups, 4-6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

2 lbs yukon gold potatoes (or other waxy boiling potatoes)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup chicken stock or 1/3 cup potato water
2/3 cup onion (finely chopped)
1/2 cup celery (finely chopped)
3 -4 slices bacon (crisply cooked, chopped or crumbled)
2 -3 tablespoons dill pickle relish or 2 -3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 eggs (hard-boiled, peeled & sliced thin)
3 tablespoons chives (finely chopped) or 3 tablespoons scallions (finely chopped)
salt
white pepper (freshly ground if avail.)
1 cup mayonnaise (homemade if possible)
sour cream (optional)
lettuce leaf
pimiento (diced)
egg (hard-boiled, sliced)
tomatoes (quartered)
parsley sprig

Steps:

Slice potatoes lengthwise in 1/2 or in quarters if very large; cut crosswise into 1/2 round or 1/4 round slices, about 1/2" thick. Put in a saucepan with just enough water to cover & 1 1/2 t of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer & cook for 5 - 6 min until just cooked through. (It is essential that they be cooked through!). Remove from heat & drain, reserving 1 c of the cooking liquid for later use.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl; stir together the cider vinegar with 1/3 c of the potato water or chicken stock & drizzle over potatoes, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 min to absorb the liquid.
Add the onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs & chives; season to taste. Top with 2/3 c of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise & sour cream) & gently fold everything together. Taste & add more salt, pepper or mayonnaise as needed.
Cover & refrigerate for at least an hour; if it is refrigerated longer, bring back to room temperature before serving.
To serve, line a bowl or platter with lettuce & mound salad on top. Taste again & adjust seasoning if needed. Decorate at the last moment.

JULIA'S POTATO SALAD

Julia's Potato Salad image

This is a recipe by Julia Child. I'm always asked to bring this potato salad to all summer get togethers. One friend says that she can't eat any other potato salad, because she just keeps thinking about mine. I use 3/4 mayo and 1/4 sour cream.

Provided by FrVanilla

Categories Potato

Time 27m

Yield 6 cups, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

2 lbs large yukon gold potatoes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup potato water
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery or 1/2 cup peas, finely chopped
3 slices bacon, crumbled
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish, finely chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced thin
3 tablespoons fresh chives (including a bit of their tender green) or 3 tablespoons scallions, finely chopped (including a bit of their tender green)
salt, to taste
fresh ground white pepper, to taste
1 cup mayonnaise, homemade if possible
sour cream (optional)

Steps:

Peel the potatoes and slice each one lengthwise in half, or in quarters if very large; then cut crosswise into half-round or quarter-round slices, about 1/2 inch thick.
Put the slices in a saucepan with water just to cover and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water. Heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes for 5 to 6 minutes, or until just cooked through. It is essential that they be just cooked through. Bite into a slice or two to be very sure. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the potatoes into a colander, but save a cup of the cooking liquid for dressing the potatoes. Transfer bowl. Stir the cider vinegar with 1/3 cup of the potato water or chicken stock and drizzle this over the potato pieces, turning them gently to distribute it evenly. Let sit 10 minutes to absorb the liquid.
Add the prepared onion, celery, bacon, pickle, hard-boiled eggs, and chives, and season carefully, to taste. Top with 2/3 cup of mayonnaise (or a mix of mayonnaise and a bit of sour cream) and, with a large rubber spatula, gently fold everything together until well blended. Taste the salad and add more salt, pepper, or mayonnaise as needed.
Cover the salad and set aside in the refrigerator for at least an hour or so before serving. If it is refrigerated longer, let it come back to room temperature before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning again.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 378.3, Fat 20.2, SaturatedFat 4.2, Cholesterol 88.6, Sodium 467.7, Carbohydrate 44, Fiber 3.1, Sugar 5.8, Protein 6.8

Tips:

Use a variety of potatoes. This will give your potato salad a more complex flavor and texture. Good choices include Yukon Gold, red potatoes, and fingerling potatoes.
Boil the potatoes until they are just tender. You don't want them to be mushy.
Let the potatoes cool completely before dressing them. This will help prevent the salad from becoming watery.
Use a light, creamy dressing. A mayonnaise-based dressing is a classic choice, but you can also use a vinaigrette or a yogurt-based dressing.
Add your favorite mix-ins. Some popular choices include celery, onion, hard-boiled eggs, and bacon.
Season the salad to taste. Salt, pepper, and celery salt are all good choices.
Garnish the salad with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of paprika. This will add a pop of color and flavor.

Conclusion:

Julia Child's American-Style Potato Salad is a classic dish that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make, and it is always a crowd-pleaser. With its creamy dressing, tender potatoes, and flavorful mix-ins, this salad is sure to be a hit at your next gathering.