Garlic Aioli Potato & Egg Salad

Making homemade mayonnaise has been a challenging endeavor for me. It is always described as “quick and easy” but that has not been the case in my kitchen! This time- with a little bit of a struggle- I finally had a successful result. 🙂

The garlic aioli base of this potato salad was very creamy and flavorful. The diced hard boiled eggs added even more richness to the finished dish. This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I modified the method and proportions. The original recipe suggests making the salad at least an hour prior to serving to allow the flavors to mellow.

This dish could also be made with store-bought mayonnaise as a shortcut! Skip steps 3 and 4 and add garlic and lemon juice to the mayo.

Yield: Serves 4 as a side dish

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or pushed through a garlic press
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, at room temperature, more as needed (I used Meyer lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 T sour cream
• 4 T (1/4 cup) finely chopped celery
• 2 T finely chopped red onion
• 1 pound small waxy white or yellow potatoes, roughly about the same size (I used tiny yellow potatoes)
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• finely chopped chives, cilantro, or parsley, for garnish

1. Place the 2 whole eggs in a small pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; immediately remove from heat and cover for 8 minutes. Transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel and dice small.
2. Meanwhile, combine grated garlic, salt and lemon juice in a blender, and pulse a few times to combine. (I used a Vitamix.)
3. Pulse in the egg yolks. (I incorporated the egg yolks briefly at the highest speed.)
4. With motor running, set to medium-low speed (3 on a Vitamix), very slowly drizzle (drip!) in olive oil until completely incorporated and mayonnaise is thick. (I covered the opening with a paper towel to prevent any mess.)(I initially began this process with 1 egg yolk and the mixture separated. I was able to bring it back to a creamy state by slowing adding the broken mixture to an additional egg yolk prior to slowly adding the rest of the olive oil in the blender.)
5. Scrape the mayonnaise into a bowl and fold in sour cream.
6. Fold in the chopped celery and red onion.
7. Place whole unpeeled potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then generously salt the water. Cook until potatoes are just tender, 15 to 25 minutes depending upon size. (I cooked the potatoes for 20 minutes.)
8. Drain and cut the potatoes into 1 1/2-inch chunks as soon as you can handle them.
9. Transfer hot potatoes to a large bowl and toss with diced boiled eggs and 2/3 of the mayonnaise.
10. Let cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until ready to use.
11. Just before serving, toss with some of the remaining dressing to taste (if desired). (I reserved the remaining mayonnaise for another use.)
12. Season with black pepper and add more salt, if necessary, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped herbs. Serve.

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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