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As a kid growing up in Oak Park, Illinois, in the 1950s, the best summer days were the ones that ended with a picnic at Wilder Park in Elmhurst. The logistics were daunting without a car, but that made the trip all the more interesting. Adelheid and the four Nickel boys would take the Chicago and Northwestern commuter line from the Marion Street station out to Elmhurst, loaded down with baseball equipment and the picnic dinner. H.C. Nickel would get on the Northwestern in the Loop after work and head for Elmhurst, bringing a box of high-end chocolates or caramel-nut roll for dessert. We would knock out flies or play 500 until H.C. arrived for dinner.
Whatever the main dish for dinner, there was almost always a bowl of potato salad. No mayonaise, no Italian dressing, no bacon and vinegar “German” style. It was mustardy with pleasant vinegar overtones, crunchy with celery, and still warm in its Fiestaware bowl.
There was no written recipe. This one comes mostly from memory and observation. Scallions may not have been part of the original, but they seemed necessary, and Adelheid had only large red potatoes, which she peeled and sliced thickly. Other than that, this is close to the original. All measures are approximate and can be modified to suit. But don’t even consider dijon. The mustard must be conventional yellow.
The single most important key to success is properly boiling the potatoes. Use only waxy potatoes, not starchy Idahos. Getting potatoes of uniformly golf ball size makes for success in boiling. Smaller is better.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and dump in the potatoes, whole and unpeeled. Carefully monitor them, aiming for slightly underdone; overcooking is fatal. About 10 minutes after dumping them in, fish one out and cut it in half. It should be firm but without a raw crunch. If you have achieved that, take the potatoes off the stove and drain them. Err on the underdone side.
While the potatoes are boiling, make the dressing. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the celery seeds, and cook for a moment. Stir in the flour when the butter is foaming. This will result in an impossibly stiff roux. Cook for half a minute or so to temper the raw flour flavor, stirring constantly. Add the milk and continue stirring. As it heats, the mixture will stiffen just beyond the consistency of toothpaste. When it’s good and stiff, remove from heat, add the mustard and stir, then add the vinegar and stir. You are aiming for a dressing that holds it shape and does not seek its own level. Add more vinegar if necessary, but don’t let it get too thin. Thicker is better. Set aside.
Cut the drained potatoes into chunks, quartering most of them and cutting the larger ones into eighths. Let them air-dry for a minute or two, then put them into a broad-bottomed bowl (a large ZipLoc bag also works) and sprinkle about half a cup of cider vinegar over them. Gently stir or shake from time to time so that the cut facets of the potatoes absorb the vinegar.
When the potatoes have soaked for five minutes or so, drain and discard the excess vinegar and put the potatoes into a large bowl. Add the celery and white part of the scallions and mix well. Then add the dressing and stir to coat everything. Garnish with the green part of the scallions.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.
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