Heisser Kartoffelsalat (Hot Potato Salad) -- Bay Leaf Day, 13th of Rainy, Year 233

Heisser Kartoffelsalat -- Hot Potato Salad

Ingredients
8 medium potatoes, boiled in their jackets
8 slices bacon
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 cup celery, diced
3 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup vinegar
5 to 6 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper to taste
spring of parsley or to taste

1. Peel and slice boiled potatoes while warm -- but do wait until they've stopped steaming.


2. Fry bacon in a skillet or deep pot over medium heat. You want it to get crispy, so it will take a while. Once the bacon is done, remove it to drain on a paper towel, but keep the hot grease.


3. Add the onion and celery to the bacon grease. Be careful adding them, as the grease can splatter if you just dump them in. Cook until the onion is clear.


4. Stir in flour, a little at a time so it dissolves into the oil. Then add water, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.


5. Add potatoes, or (if made in a skillet) pour over potatoes. Stir until potatoes are coated.


6. Serve hot, or if you prefer, cold.

It's really good, and even better if it's allowed a day to sit.

You can make it vegan by eliminating the bacon (or using a vegan substitute), cooking the onions and celery in your preferred oil, and using 2 tablespoons of hickory vinegar in place of 2 tablespoons of the white vinegar. I get hickory vinegar from Lindera Farms.