Austrian Salad Food

AUSTRIAN-STYLE POTATO SALAD (COOK'S ILLUSTRATED)

Steps:

• Bring potatoes, broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and 1 tablespoon vinegar to boil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes offer no resistance when pierced with paring knife, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat to high (so cooking liquid will reduce), and cook 2 minutes.
• Drain potatoes in colander set over large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Set drained potatoes aside. Pour off and discard all but ½ cup cooking liquid (if ½ cup liquid does not remain, add water to make ½ cup). Whisk remaining tablespoon vinegar, mustard, and oil into cooking liquid.
• 3. Add ½ cup cooked potatoes to bowl with cooking liquid mixture and mash with potato masher or fork until thick sauce forms (mixture will be slightly chunky). Add remaining potatoes, onion, cornichons, and chives, folding gently with rubber spatula to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

AUSTRIAN POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Simmer the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.
• When potatoes are cool enough to handle but still warm, peel and cut them into thin slices (not thicker than 1/8 inch). Set aside in a big bowl.
• Heat butter in a pan over medium heat, add diced onion and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes.
• Deglaze onion with vinegar, add soup and salt.
• Bring the liquid to a boil and let it cook over low medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Toss the potatoes with vinegar-broth, add mustard, give it a stir, then add oil and mix carefully.
• Cover bowl with a lid and let rest for at least 30 minutes so the potatoes are able to absorb some of the dressing.
• Potato salad is consumed either warm (after the 30 minute resting time) or chilled (for longer resting times).
• Before serving, give the salad a stir, taste it, add little salt if necessary and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

AUSTRIAN-STYLE WARM POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, thyme sprigs, and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Add enough cold water to cover completely. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced easily with a skewer or the tip of a sharp knife, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the potatoes. While they are still hot, peel them with a small, sharp knife, protecting your hand from the heat with a folded kitchen towel. As each potato is peeled, cut it crosswise into 1/4-inch slices, letting the slices fall into a mixing bowl.
• Add to the hot potato slices the onion, remaining salt, sugar, pepper, vinegar, and oil. Stir gently but thoroughly with a large spoon to combine the ingredients.
• Before serving, heat the broth in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the potato salad and stir it gently just until the potatoes are thoroughly heated. Garnish with parsley or chives and serve immediately.

AUSTRIAN POTATO SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the sliced potatoes till just tender, drain and set aside.
• In a large bowl mix together all the other ingredients.
• Add salt to taste, dilute with a little water if the flavour is too strong. You can add more oil, vinegar to make more dressing if necessary.
• Mix in the potatoes, stir all together gently so as not to break up the potatoes.
• Invite me to dinner, it's that good.

VIENNESE CUCUMBER SALAD

Steps:

• Score cucumbers lengthwise with a fork and slice thin, preferably with slicing disk of a food processor. In a large bowl toss cucumbers with salt and let stand 1 hour.
• In a small saucepan bring vinegar and water to a boil with sugar, garlic, and dill seed, stirring until sugar is dissolved, and let dressing cool.
• In a colander drain cucumbers and rinse under cold water. Drain cucumbers well, squeezing out excess liquid. In a bowl combine cucumbers with dressing and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. (After about 2 hours cucumber skin will discolor, but there will be no effect on flavor.)