Finely puréed hard-boiled eggs, barely bound with sour cream and mayonnaise, get a sweet, pungent bite from tiny bites of chopped sweet gherkin pickles in this refined, waxy red potato salad. The simplicity of this salad is what makes it so perfect.
Ingredients
Eggs
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- Water
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Salad
- 10 medium (about 2 pounds / 900 g) unpeeled waxy red potatoes, well-scrubbed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes
- Water
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 cup (230 g) full-fat sour cream
- ½ cup (120 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 6 sweet gherkin pickles, very finely chopped (about ½ cup / 80 g)
- 3 tablespoons sweet gherkin pickle juice (from the jar)
- 2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 scallions, base and green tops trimmed to 3 inches (7.6 cm) above white base, very finely chopped on the bias
How to Make It
- For the eggs, gently place the eggs in a medium pot. Cover generously with water (at least 2 inches / 5 cm above the eggs) and add vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once at a full boil, remove from heat and keep the eggs in the heated water for exactly 15 minutes. Drain. Place the eggs in a bowl of heavily iced cold water for exactly 5 minutes. Drain.
- Peel and remove the shell of each egg under running tap water. Cut the eggs in half and process the whites and yolks in the bowl of a food processor or through a food mill (Basic Mashing Tools) until flour fine then turn out into a large bowl. Set aside.
- To finish the salad, place the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, add salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, uncovered, for 15–18 minutes until very tender, but still holding their shape. Drain well and cool.
- Return to the reserved eggs and whisk in the sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, gherkins, and pickle juice until smooth. Stir in the salt, pepper, and scallions. Gently fold in the reserved potatoes and stir to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (and up to overnight) to allow the flavors to develop.
- Remove from the refrigerator at least 15 minutes before serving to bring the salad closer to room temperature, where it will have its fullest flavor. It’s beautiful and delicious beside a small mound of arugula or served in tender lettuce (such as Bibb or Boston) cups.
