This spicy potato salad is the tastiest potato salad I’ve ever eaten. It elevates your bog standard potato salad to an entirely new level. It was created by chefs Anna and Henry from Hank & Bean (follow them at @hankandbeanLA on Insta!), as part of their simulated Martian Dinner. They were challenged to create recipes that we could and would eat should we have to colonize to planet Mars!
I was excited to hear all about this because the concept of creating a colony on another planet, necessitates a zero-waste mindset. The food has to be sustainable. As you can imagine, we’d be eating a LOT of potatoes on Mars (think Matt Damon in The Martian). And potatoes can get boring. But this insanely delicious spicy potato salad is anything but!
You’ll need to find the spices, but it’s worth searching for them – seriously! Check out the video we made together for even more information and recipes!
Spicy Potato Salad
- 1 lb organic russet potato, sliced into long matchsticks
Flavorings–
- 1 tbsp cold pressed sunflower seed oil (you may substitute avocado, expeller pressed canola or rapeseed oil here)
- 1.5 tsp red Sichuan peppercorn
- 1.5 tsp green Sichuan peppercorn
- 1 tsp finely sliced Tianjin or Tian Tsin chiles (from the Hunan province)
- 1 tbsp finely minced garlic
- 2 tbsp gluten-free tamari sauce
Salad Mix & Dressing–
- 1 whole jalapeño, thinly sliced and seeds **REMOVED** unless you desire that extra spicy kick!
- 1/3 c finely sliced spring onion
- 1 tbsp dark vinegar (not balsamic as that is too sweet. We like dark walnut, pumpkin, almond, sorghum or rice vinegars for this application)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Finish with —
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp coriander blossom
METHOD:
- Slice the peeled potato into matchsticks on a mandolin, or julienne by hand.
- Rinse the potato sticks under runner cold water until the water runs clear (to remove excess starch).
- Drain water.
- Steam potato skins in a steamer basket until al dente (about 2-3 minutes) or boil for 90 seconds and then shock in an ice bath. **Potato sticks must retain their crunch for this dish to sing. If over steamed or blanched, you will have mashed potatoes 🙁
- When potato sticks are totally cooled, rest on paper towels until air-dried (dry to touch).
- Heat pan with 1 tbs oil over medium-high flame, and allow to heat through for about 30 seconds until shimmery.
- Add peppercorns and chilis and roast until aromatic.
- Add garlic, cook till golden.
- Add tamari and then the potatoes.
- Sautée for 30 seconds, then finish with remaining ingredients: spring onion, jalapeno, vinegar, and salt.
- Spoon mixture into a serving bowl and toss with the lemon juice.
- Top with coriander blossoms.
- Note – This salad is traditionally served hot -OR- cold, so enjoy either way.
