• 5 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes (see comment below)
• 1-1/2 cups Hellmann’s mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup sweet pickle juice (plus a little to sprinkle over the potatoes as you are cubing them); you could also add some sweet pickles, minced (or use 1/4 cup plus sweet relish)
• 1 tsp. sugar (optional – not really needed because of the pickle juice)
• 1 tsp. yellow mustard  (you could add Dijon and whole-grain mustard to taste instead)
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 2 hard-boiled eggs for garnish
• 2 stalks celery, chopped (maybe less)
• celery seed to taste
• onion, chopped to taste (red or white – red adds some color)
• kosher salt (easy) and pepper to taste

Fill the bottom of a 7 quart pan with potatoes (put the large ones on the bottom and the smaller ones on top); barely cover with water.   Cover and cook for 20 minutes, more or less.  Stick a knife in the center of one of the potatoes and try to lift out of the water.  If the potato clings to the knife even for a second, put it back into the pan and cook until the knife is released easily.

Drain the potatoes in a colander, then place the colander with the potatoes over the empty pot off the heat and cover with a clean, dry kitchen towel. Allow to steam for 15-20 minutes until tender but firm.    Peel and then cube into 1/2-inch pieces.  While still warm sprinkle a little pickle juice as you continue to cube the potatoes.   My mom used sweet pickles, diced as well.   Add a tad of kosher salt (sparingly), pepper and a sprinkle of celery seed.

Add the eggs, celery and onion.  Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar and sweet pickle juice and mix gently with potato mixture.  Adjust seasonings – I am very careful when I add salt.  Taste as you go as it is easy to add more salt but hard to remove once it is in the salad.  Garnish with egg slices and a dash of paprika.

Comment: Yukon Gold is a buttery medium starch and is the best choice for this salad and it does offer the best balance of sturdiness and flavor. Russets have more starch and tend to get a little gummy. Try mixing a little yellow mustard in with pickle juice (optional)  before sprinkling over warm potatoes.

You can add the chopped celery and onion to the potatoes while they are cooking – an idea from  Art Smith (I believe), former chef of Oprah’s.

Hard Boiled Eggs:

Place the eggs in the bottom of a pan, cover with water 1-inch above them. Cover, and bring to a rapid boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cook for about 15 minutes. The American Egg Association says 12 minutes for large eggs but you can see the results below using 15 minutes.

Drain, place in ice-cold water for 5 minutes; peel and do not drain as you want to keep the eggs cold.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com