Memorial Day doesn’t seem complete without Potato Salad – and the best Potato Salads contain hard-boiled eggs, so I was thrilled to find a hundred-year-old recipe for Potato and Egg Salad.
The Potato and Egg Salad was delightful with crunchy celery and chopped pickles – but what made the salad really special was the dressing. The dressing was made with whipped cream and vinegar – and was amazingly light compared to the usual mayonnaise dressing. The whipped cream dressing takes a little longer to make than mayonnainse dressing, but it was well worth the extra effort
Here’s the original recipe:
I didn’t have any onion juice, so substituted 1 tablespoon chopped onions.
Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:
2 cups cold boiled potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 cup celery or cabbage, chopped (I used celery.) 2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (I used 2 large hard-boiled eggs.) 2 tablespoons pickle, chopped (I chopped several Bread and Butter Pickle slices.) 2 tablespoons green pepper or pimento, chopped (I used green pepper.) 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon onions, chopped cream dressing, see below If desired, lettuce or cabbage leaves Put the cubed potatoes, celery or cabbage, chopped eggs, chopped pickle,, green pepper or pimento, parsley, and onions in a mixing bowl and gently stir to combine. Chill in refrigerator. Just before serving, add Cream Dressing and gently stir until the potatoes and other ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing. If desired, serve on lettuce or cabbage leaves. Cream Dressing 2 teaspoons flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar dash cayenne (red) pepper 1 teaspoon butter 1/3 cup vinegar 1 egg yolk, beaten 1/2 cup whipping cream Put the flour, salt, mustard, powdered sugar, cayenne pepper, and butter n a saucepan or double boiler, and gradually add vinegar while stirring constantly. Using medium heat, cook until thickens while stirring constantly. Put a a spoonful of the hot mixture in the bowl with the egg yolk, and immediately stir rapidly; then add the mixture to the mixture in the saucepan or double boiler while stirring rapidly. Continue stirring and cook for 1 minute. The mixture will be very stiff. Put in a small bowl and cool in refrigerator. Shortly before serving, whip the cream until it is stiff. Add the cooled vinegar mixture, and beat until smooth. http://www.ahundredyearsago.comPotato and Egg Salad
A Hundred Years Ago 
The ingredients are exactly the same as the potato salad we enjoyed, but of course we always stuck with the mayo. This would be an interesting dressing to try; it does sound good.
Like you, we always used mayonnaise. The old recipe makes me wonder if whipped cream was often used back in the days when commercially-made mayonnaise was less common.
We always make our potato salad with eggs, but the other ingredients and dressing would spice it up.
The celery, green pepper, and pickle were nice addiitons.
I’m curious. I bet my husband would love it!
I really liked this Potato and Egg Salad recipe. I think that you’d enjoy it.
I love the sound of the dressing! Thanks Sheryl!
It’s tasty!
I enjoyed reading this recipe. It would be heresy to prepare it. My family is addicted to NY deli potato salad, and we were given the recipe by a relative of someone who once owned a deli. I’ve made it for the neighborhood block party tomorrow. John will be in seventh heaven, or at least potato salad heaven.
It sounds like you have a perfect recipe. It’s best not to mess with family favorites.
We will try it next weekend – the lightness actually sounds promising.
I think that you’ll really like it.
I wonder if this method of making potato salad ended up being the inspiration for Miracle Whip. Here many people argue over whether to use it or mayonnaise. Perhaps the sweetness of Miracle Whip is similar to the old recipe.
Maybe – I haven’t eaten Miracle Whip in years, and can’t even remember exactly what it tasted like.
It was too sweet for me.
I love how you make me want something I didn’t know I wanted. Now I totally have to have this salad.
Thank you for the lovely compliment. I’m glad this post made you want to try this recipe.
Nice one
Oh dear, this sounds good all except for the eggs.🫣love the pickles in it though.
This probably isn’t the right recipe for you. That said, pickles would be a nice addiiton to any potato salad.
‘ whipped cream and vinegar ‘, boy, now that’s 2 ingredients that I never would of thought of using together. 😀
I agree it’d be more time consuming since the dressing has to be cooked, But I bet your potato-egg salad was delicious. It sounds quite tasty. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
It is an unusual combination, but I really liked this recipe – and anticipate I’ll make it again when I have guests over.
I’ll have to give this a try! Sounds delicious!
Some things (including recipes) don’t change. I’m really fancying some potato salad now! 😀
Love this. It reminds me of the article I wrote about the potato! So cool!