Still fishing with the same flies you were 30 years ago?
Much if not most of today’s ‘modern’ tying materials were but a wisp of imagination then; my go to nymphs for little Utah freestones way back in the day were Zug Bugs and variants of a cased caddis tied sans synthetics.
The humble Zug Bug, buggy looking as hell with its peacock herl tail and thorax, has fallen out of fashion in most circles, though I still tie up a few now and again.
Flies we fishy folk use change over time. As does the gear with fish with, the vehicles we drive, the cameras we record our exploits with and even the food we eat.
On the other hand, like my loyal Zug Bug, some foods (read recipes) have staying power.
She Who Must Be Obeyed and I first encountered the predecessor to Clay’s Hot Damn Potato Salad almost 30 years ago.
We were living in San Antonio as I finished grad school; only during our most affluent weeks did we have two nickels to rub together. We lived in a tiny apartment, ate vegetable stir fries and ramens when we could buy them, played video games at the 7-11 for a date and were happy as could be.
A young couple we knew, fellow paupers in school, lucked into house sitting for one of her professors one summer. They had a charming old English tudor at their disposal with a gourmet kitchen and an exquisitely landscaped pool in the backyard.
It was there on a hot summer day that we first tasted this brawny, classic potato salad recipe. Bacon was a splurge for us back then; it was nothing short of ambrosial that afternoon. We stole the leftovers and rationed them out over the next week.
Like all great recipes that foodies hoard, we’ve tweaked this one around the edges and definitely lean toward a tart, spicy, full of crunchy vegetables mix, though the nuts and bolts of the recipe remain the same. Just like my Zug Bug.
We’ve got company coming this weekend (the girlfriend) and will have a big bowl sitting ice cold in the fridge.
3 lbs spuds (we like a mixture of firmer new reds and softer Yukon gold)
1 lb thick slice bacon, cooked crisp, reserve drippings
1 large sweet onion, small to medium dice (more as desired)
1/2 cup chopped green onion, white and green parts
1 generous cup chopped celery (more as desired)
1 cup chopped sweet red bell pepper
1 cup chopped kosher dill pickles
1/2 cup sliced green olives
1/2 cup sliced sweet pickled jalapenos
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 tbs seasoned salt
1 tbs sugar
Mayonnaise or whole fat plain yogurt
Mustard, whole grain
Mustard, yellow
Pickle Juice
Paprika
Boil the spuds. Boil the scrubbed and trimmed spuds until fork tender, rinse under cool water until you can handle, then dice medium. Place in a large bowl.
Let the bacon work its magic. If you’ve not already done so, fry the bacon crisp and set aside to drain well. Pour the hot bacon grease over the spuds and make sure to scrape all the brown, crusty goodness out of the pan. Crumble the bacon when cooled and set aside.
Slice and dice. Chop and dice the sweet onion, green onion, celery, bell pepper, dill pickles, olives, jalapenos and eggs. Add to the potato bowl. Add half the crumbled bacon.
Season and bind. Sprinkle the growing mixture with the seasoned salt and sugar. Start by stirring in at least 1/2 cup mayonnaise / yogurt and 1/2 cup yellow mustard, knowing full well that it won’t be enough.
At this point we like to stir in the pickle juice (our tradition calls for using quite a bit to add a punchy vinegar bite to the salad), add a couple of big spoons of whole grain mustard and then add more mustard and mayo/yogurt to get it to the consistency you desire. How much you’ll eventually need will depend on personal taste and how soft your spuds are.
Finish and chill. Smooth the top, dust liberally with paprika and sprinkle with the remainder of the bacon. Very good after resting in the fridge for 4 hours and great the next day.
This is our catering meal accompaniment for just about all Q coming out of the smoker, though some in our clan eat it alone for any and every meal of the day.
Clay’s Hot Damn Potato Salad. It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
Enjoy.
Tags: Friday Feast
