Side Orders: Here's a new idea -- potato salad that's fried

Fried potato salad is yin-yang of fried foods, both creamy and crunchy, cold and hot.
Fried potato salad is yin-yang of fried foods, both creamy and crunchy, cold and hot.

In other parts of America, potato salad is a summer thing, but in the South, it's a near year-round favorite. We eat it well into the fall, put it on hiatus through the holidays - sometimes - then start making it again in March, especially when Easter comes early.

My mother made the best potato salad I've ever had, and my friend Lisa White makes one of the best in the world as well. But now I have another favorite, one that takes potato salad to a place it's never been: the deep fryer.

photo Anne Braly

When this recipe appeared in my email from the Idaho Potato Commission, I couldn't help but take notice. I know that as Southerners, we'll fry most anything, from macaroni and cheese to Twinkies. But potato salad?

New Orleans-based chef and cookbook author Susan Goss came up with the idea using cubed Idaho potatoes to make the salad, but most every fried food needs some kind of batter, so Goss coated balls of potato salad with potato flakes and bingo - her fried potato salad balls were born.

They're the yin-yang of fried foods, both creamy and crunchy, cold and hot. You chill the potato salad for a while before coating it, then fry it for a few seconds, just long enough for the coating to turn to a crispy, golden brown.

And best yet, if you have leftover mashed potatoes, save them for this recipe since it calls for not only cubed potatoes but mashed potatoes, too. If you're in a hurry and have no time for made-from-scratch mashed potatoes, make them from good-quality instant potatoes.

These need to be served right away. They're not the heat-and-hold kind of side dish but, once you've tasted them, you'll want to eat them immediately anyway. They're fun and fabulous, an unexpected side dish to serve with almost any meat, but particularly good with grilled pork. Or go ahead and bust your diet and serve them with fried pork chops.

Fried Potato Salad

5 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 cups sweet gherkins, diced

5 cups sweet onion, small dice

5 cups celery, small dice

1 1/4 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 1/2 cups mayonnaise, plain

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 1/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground

1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

5 cups mashed potatoes, prepared, seasoned, warm

Seasoned flour for breading, as needed

2 cups egg whites whisked with 2 cups buttermilk

Instant potato flakes, for breading

Cover diced potatoes with cold water and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook until just tender. Drain and shock in an ice bath. Combine cooled potatoes with remaining ingredients through mashed potatoes in a large bowl and mix gently but completely. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate 1 hour until well-chilled.

Have pans of flour ready, seasoned with salt and pepper, egg white/buttermilk mixture and instant potato flakes for breading.

Using a 2 2/3-ounce ice cream scoop, drop portions of potato salad into the seasoned flour, coat well and shake off excess flour. Dip floured potato salad into buttermilk mixture, then roll in potato flakes. Place on sheet pans to hold until all are coated and ready for the frying.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees, then fry potato salad balls for 15-20 seconds until crispy on the outside and still cold inside. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

ON THE MENU

Attention regular patrons of Bonefish Grill - or if you've never been and have been looking for a good excuse to check it out - the fall menu is back and filled with fresh choices: Norwegian Salmon Topped with a Bourbon-Maple Glaze; Wild Snapper and Shrimp, both lightly blackened and served in a Chorizo Mojo sauce; or Wild Swordfish cut in-house and served with Pumpkin Ravioli.

I had dinner there recently and came away convinced once again that Bonefish is a chain restaurant that does it right. The fish is never frozen and always cooked to perfection, and the service is impeccable.

The salmon tastes like it has just jumped out of the water, it's that fresh. The snapper? I thought I might be sitting at a table in New Orleans. And the pumpkin ravioli - even if you don't like pumpkin, you must try it. It's savory-sweet and deliciously topped with crispy onions, feta cheese and butter.

But you need to get it before it's gone. The specials will run through the end of October.

Bonefish Grill is located in the Hamilton Place neighborhood at 2115 Gunbarrel Road.

FOOD WORKS IS OPEN

Troy Sutton, operating partner at Food Works, one of the North Shore's most popular restaurants, emailed, asking to help spread the news that, in spite of all the construction going on next door at the former location of Knitting Mill Antiques, Food Works is open. And, due to the fact that a new lease has been signed, it's here to stay for quite some time.

There's also something brand-new happening at Food Works that makes so much sense.

Rather than having separate lunch and dinner menus, the menu is now combined, offering diners a terrific option. The same menu will be offered all day and into the night, so if you want a less-expensive dinner entree, such as the Turkey Reuben and a side ($10), it's available. Or if you want Food Works Lasagna ($10) or the Filet with the amazing Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes ($22, or add $2 more for the blue cheese topping, which I would recommend), you can now have it for lunch.

The popular Sunday brunch will now be served until closing at 9 p.m., while on Saturdays, the menu will be presented at 4 p.m. when brunch ends and continued until closing at 10 p.m.

Food Works is located at 205 Manufacturers Road.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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