I talk about being half Italian and half Irish quite frequently. As it turns out, I have to change my tune! I recently had my DNA tested to trace my ancestral heritage and got some surprising results. I’m only about a quarter Italian. Based on my unique DNA, the other quarter that I attributed to being Italian is actually either Spanish or Portuguese. Kelly says that explains why I prefer sampler platters, a taste (or two!) of many different things as opposed to a larger helping of one or two things. My eating habits are similar to the Spanish tapas tradition.
With my new heritage in mind, I jumped at the chance to make a Spanish potato salad for the summer’s end celebrations this weekend. Pipirrana is a traditional peasant food in southern Spain, combining tomatoes, onion, and peppers with some fish like tuna, cod or mackerel. It is often made to be served as a cold soup. The recipe I chose combines the essence of pipirrana with a potato salad, which appeals to my Irish roots. (I’m not really half Irish either, but that’s a post for another time!)
Spanish Potato Salad
Spanish Potato Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com) Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Chill time: at least 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
- 1 (5 – 7 ounce) can tuna, drained
- 1/2 cup green olives with pimento or anchovy, halved
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions:
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them from the hot water, allow them to cool, then peel them. Cut the eggs into eighths, and set them aside.
Chop the cooked eggs, onion, and peppers.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cubed potatoes and cook them until they are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
Cook the potatoes.
Toss the cooled potatoes with the hard-boiled eggs, bell peppers, onion, tuna, green olives, olive oil, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate the potato salad until ready to serve.
Add the tomato at serving time.
Allowing the potato salad to sit in the fridge overnight will help the flavors blend better. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the salad and mix well. Adding the tomato to the salad just before serving will prevent it from getting mealy in the refrigerator.
Gently add the olives and tomato to the salad.
Two cultures meet for this dish!
Combining cultural traditions makes for great food! ~Linda
Spanish Potato Salad (adapted from allrecipes.com) Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes, Chill time: at least 2 hours
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 large fresh tomato, chopped
- 1 (5 – 7 ounce) can tuna, drained
- 1/2 cup green olives with pimento or anchovy, halved
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Directions:
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them from the hot water, allow them to cool, then peel them. Cut the eggs into eighths, and set them aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cubed potatoes and cook them until they are tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl.
Toss the cooled potatoes with the hard-boiled eggs, bell peppers, onion, tuna, green olives, olive oil, and vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Refrigerate the potato salad until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the chopped tomato to the salad and mix well. Allowing the potato salad to sit in the fridge overnight will help the flavors blend better, but still add the tomato just before serving, to prevent it from getting mealy in the fridge.