Recipe: Roasted Garlic Potato Salad

ROASTED GARLIC POTATO SALAD
Source: Potato Salad: Fifty Great Recipes by Barbara Lauterbach
Servings: 6-8

This is a garlic lover's delight. Roasted garlic is popular, and its sweet, buttery flavor, mellowed by roasting, adapts well to potatoes. The use of all purpose or Yukon gold potatoes will give you softer slices than many other types.

2 pounds Yukon Gold or brown all-purpose potatoes
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1/3 cup finely chapped flat-leaf or curly parsley
DRESSING:
2 to 3 tablespoons roasted garlic*
1/2 cup mayonnaise, homemade or high-quality purchased
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

TO PREPARE THE POTATOES:
In a heavy saucepan that accommodates the potatoes without crowding, place the potatoes, water to cover, about 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water. Cover partially, bring to a boil, and cook until tender when pierced. 20 to 25 minutes after the water has returned to a boil for 2- to 3.inch potatoes. Avoid piercing the potatoes repeatedly to test for doneness, or too much moisture will seep in and produce a soggy interior, Use a knife for probing, as a fork permits more water to reach the center. When done, drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the warm cooking pan briefly, tossing them over low heat to dry them. Proceed wish the salad recipe.

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with the vinegar while still warm, Let the potatoes cool to room temperature and add the red onion and parsley.

Meanwhile, prepare the roasted garlic for the dressing and set aside.

TO MAKE THE DRESSING:
In a small bowl, stir together the roasted garlic and the mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the potatoes and mix gently but thoroughly.

Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, then serve chilled

*TO ROAST THE GARLIC:
Do not peel or separate the cloves, Cut a thin slice off the top of each head, exposing the cloves, then remove the paper-like white skin from the garlic heads. Wrap each head separately in aluminum foil.

Bake the heads in a preheated 350 degree F oven until soft to the touch, about 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes.

Separate the cloves and squeeze each clove from the root end to extract the pulp from the papery sheaths.

The pulp may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days.

One average garlic head yields a scant 3 tablespoons of pulp.