Our chef friend Libby, a truly gifted chef and only occasional smartass, called for a favor the other day.
She was back in Montana (we met Libby when she was serving her work-induced exile in Texas some months ago) visiting friends and decided she needed this recipe. Despite her sporadically razor-sharp memory she claims she couldn’t remember everything and called for help.
Of course she couldn’t help but mention that she was fishing the Missouri for the next two days with a guide friend, that nymphing had been hot as hell on the river, there’d been an occasional streamer bite on and the weather was even going to cooperate.
Libby’s punishment was that she was going to help a friend cater a party for a wealthy Texan who has a property there on the Missouri. The sort of Texan who was planning to fly 120 pounds of Texas barbecue up for the party. The sort of Texan that fly fishing guides across the country have come to dread…..
Like our crew Libby embraces warmly the cuisine of the Southwest; she served this Jalapeno Potato Salad at a backyard party in Austin now almost two years ago and it’s been battling our standby Clay’s Potato Salad recipe as our favorite ever since. This is prime time, summer season goodness.
5 lb. cubed potatoes, boiled (looking for roughly 10 cups)
12 ribs celery, small dice
12 green onions, small dice
2 large sweet onions, small dice
1 cup yogurt (unsweetened)
2-3 cups good mayonnaise (better if you make it fresh)
1 cup pickled jalapeños, small dice (use the mild version if your crowd is timid)
8-ounce can diced green chiles
3 tbsp. juice from pickled jalapeños
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper (more to taste)
1 tbsp. kosher salt (more to taste)Optional
8 boiled eggs, chopped medium
First the basics. Combine the spuds, celery and both onions in a large bowl.
Add the good stuff. Combine the rest of the ingredients, mix well and stir into the potato / celery / onion mixture. Stir well. Stir in the eggs if you’re so inclined.
Rest it. Best if you let it rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours (even better overnight).
Enjoy.
