FOOD NEWS
The Double-Duty Hidden Ingredient In Bobby Flay's Texas Potato Salad
BY WENDY MEAD
Pickled red onions are chef Bobby Flay’s go-to ingredient in cooking competitions, but the chef also employs the secret culinary weapon to amp up his famed Texas potato salad.
When it comes to onions, pickling helps tone down their flavor while adding a touch of acidity that pairs well with many dishes.
Flay likes to let his pickled onions sit overnight for full effect. He uses a simple mix of red wine vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seeds as the pickling liquid.
The liquid itself then becomes a treasured addition to Flay’s potato salad. Add a few tablespoons to the salad’s vinaigrette base for an emboldened flavor.
To play off the mustard seeds in the pickling liquid, employ both Dijon and stone-ground mustard in the dish, just like Flay.
Experimentation is key. For example, mixing vinegar with lime juice and a bit of grenadine will yield pickled onions that are sweeter in taste and brighter in color.