Germany has two great schools of potato salad, and they do not cross the line between them lightly. In the north it is a cold salad bound with mayonnaise, eggs and pickles. In the south, and above all in Swabia, the country around Stuttgart in the same state as the Hockenheimring, it is something else entirely: warm sliced potatoes dressed with hot meat broth, vinegar, onion, mustard and oil, then left to drink it all in. The result is soft, glossy and tangy, closer in spirit to a marinade than a salad, and Swabians defend it with the calm certainty of people who know they are right.

The technique is the whole recipe. The potatoes must be sliced while still warm and the broth must be hot, so the slices absorb it instead of sitting in a puddle. Then the salad rests, and it only gets better. It is served at room temperature, never chilled, beside a schnitzel, sausages or meatloaf, and it is the rare side dish that a cook can make in the morning and forget about until the cars come in for the first stops.

The potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 lb (1.4 kg) small waxy potatoes
• 1 tablespoon fine salt

Method

1. Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in the large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add the salt, bring to a boil, then simmer for 18 to 25 minutes depending on size.
2. Drain the potatoes in the colander and let them steam for 5 minutes, just until you can handle them. Hold each one in the folded kitchen towel and pull off the skin with the paring knife.
3. Slice the warm potatoes into thin rounds, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, letting them fall straight into the large bowl. Keep going while they are warm; if your hands are sensitive, use a fork to hold each potato.

The warm broth dressing

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) strong beef stock
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) white wine vinegar or mild white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon medium hot mustard
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) sunflower or other neutral oil
• 1 small bunch fresh chives

Method

1. While the potatoes boil, put the stock and chopped onion in the small saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar and pepper and bring it back to a simmer.
2. Pour the hot dressing over the warm sliced potatoes and fold gently with the large spoon, lifting from the bottom, for about 1 minute.
3. Cover the bowl with a plate or towel and leave it at room temperature for at least 1 hour, folding gently once or twice.
4. Drizzle in the oil and fold gently until the salad looks silky. Taste a slice and add more salt, vinegar or pepper as needed; it should taste clearly tangy. Fold in most of the chives.

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