Bacon and Leek Potato Salad
This is our new go-to potato salad. It has leeks in it, and bacon, and — we can just stop right there, because there’s no need to say anything else about the two most perfect foods in the world: bacon and leeks.
- 1/2 pound bacon (about 8 slices), cut into 1/2-inch bits
- 5 large red-skinned potatoes (don’t peel them), cut into quarters
- 2 large leeks
- 2 ribs celery
- 1 carrot
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 eggs
Fry Up the Bacon
In a heavy-bottomed pot, fry the bacon pieces until they’re crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and let it drain on a paper towel. Let the bacon grease sit in the pot a bit while you get the potatoes ready.
Cook the Potatoes
Put the quartered potatoes into a pot, and add water until the potatoes are covered. Add about two pinches of salt to the water, and stir. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium heat, and cook until they are fork-tender (but not mushy! They shouldn’t disintegrate when you poke them, they should just give a little and retain their shape.). Drain the potatoes, and return them to the pot to sit while you get the leek mixture ready.
Bring on the Leeks
You want just the white and light green parts of the leeks, so cut off the dark green tops and discard them (or save them to make vegetable stock). Cut the leeks in half, and run them under water to get all the dirt and grit out from between the layers. Cut each half into ½-inch pieces (they should look like smiles).
Heat your pot of bacon grease to medium-high and throw in the leeks. Saute them for about five minutes. They’ll start to look a little opaque.
Celery & Carrots
Mince the carrot, and add it to the leeks. Cut the celery in half lengthwise, then dice it into small (but not as small as the carrots) pieces. Add the celery to the leek-and-carrot mixture. Add the olive oil. Saute everything until it’s soft and smells wonderful. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat and let it sit while you busy yourself with the eggs that you almost forgot you needed.
Just Remembered the Eggs
Yes, you will need to get out another pot (just a small one, though). Place the eggs in a small pot and add water until they are covered. Set them on the stove, bring them to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let them sit in the hot water for five minutes, then rinse them under cool water and peel off the shells. Chop the hardboiled eggs into pieces.
Eat Time
Get out a nice, big bowl. Put the cooked potatoes in the bowl. Toss in the cooked leek mixture. Toss in the bacon pieces. Toss in the hardboiled eggs. Stir everything together gently, making sure not to smash the potatoes to bits (they are delicate). Step back and admire all the colors in your fresh potato salad.
Serve warm and eat on the couch with your husband while watching a Nicholas Cage movie. It also taste excellent chilled (but then you must watch a Bruce Willis movie).
I like your potato salad movie pairings.