Mashed potato salad

Black Smoke book coverOn this episode of The Blue and Yellow Kitchen, we meet Soul Food Scholar Adrian Miller and his new book Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue (affiliate link), while I make mashed potato salad. If you have watched Netflix’s High on the Hog, Miller is featured in episodes 3 and 4, and this recipe is from the church BBQ restaurant featured in episode 4: New Zion Missionary Baptist Church. You’ll see them dishing up a scoop of this when they are making his plate.

Miller has done extensive research about BBQ (and soul food in his previous, James Beard Award-winning book) and takes the reader on a journey through BBQ history and culture. Beginning with its Native American origins, he traces the narrative of meat smoked over a pit—in all its incarnations—and includes 22 recipes for you to try at home. Since I don’t have a pit, or even a grill, I made the mashed potato salad (yum) and we talked about the role BBQ has played in the Black church, from fund-raising to tent-raising.

Purchase a copy of Black Smoke here (affiliate link) and check out Adrian Miller’s work here. Watch the full episode below!

Taste preview: The mashed potato salad is slightly tangy, super creamy, with just a little kick from the hot sauce, and a stronger hint of green onion.

Required FTC disclosure: I received a review copy of Black Smoke for the purpose of this show.

Save

Save

Mashed potato salad

Mashed potato salad

Mashed potato salad from Adrian Miller's Black Smoke
3.60 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 24 ounces potatoes russet, peeled, cut into 1" chunks
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise Use Just Mayo for an egg- and soy-free version
  • 1 tbsp mustard (prepared) I used Creole mustard for my version
  • 2 onions (green) thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp pickle relish
  • 4 tsp pickle juice
  • 1-4 tsp hot sauce start wit 1 tsp and add to taste

Instructions
 

  • Add potatoes to boiling lightly salted water and cook just until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash with a potato masher in a large bowl.
  • Whisk mayo through hot sauce in a medium bowl. Taste and add more hot sauce as desired. Add to mashed potatoes and stir to coat.
  • Pressure cooker instructions: Put 1 cup water in the bottom of the pressure cooker. Add potatoes to strainer or steamer basket inside the pressure cooker. Close lid. Bring to high pressure and cook for 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes, then release pressure and open the lid. No need to rinse.

Notes

"In his book Legends of Texas Barbecue Cookbook, Robb Walsh credits this recipe to the cooks at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church. There it’s served with an ice cream scoop. I hadn’t really experienced this type of potato salad before I started eating my way through Texas. Walsh notes that this “soft and fluffy” style of potato salad is common in East Texas. I add some mustard to make it slightly tangy."
Recipe from Black Smoke: African-Americans and the United States of Barbecue by Adrian Miller, © 2021 The University of North Carolina Press. Used with permission.