I’m Irish, so if you put a potato in front of me, I’m going to love it. But if you put a potato salad in front of me, I do have this short list of requests right here: lots of acid (that will always work in your favor), a little bit of heat (never a bad idea), fresh herbiness (a reliable balance to starchy), and a hard no to raw onions stinking up the bowl. If you’ve been dying to have a killer potato salad in your arsenal—and really, everyone should—this recipe will help get you on the right track.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds baby creamer potatoes (two 24-ounce bags)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dill pickles plus ¼ cup pickle brine
10 pepperoncini plus 2 tablespoons pepperoncini brine
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ teaspoon celery seeds
1 bunch chives
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons grainy or spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
½ cup loosely packed fresh dill fronds, plus more for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large Dutch oven, combine the potatoes, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and 8 cups of cold water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, about 10 minutes. Once bubbles start to pop all over the surface, set a timer for 8 minutes. When the timer goes off, use a spoon to remove a couple potatoes; if a paring knife slides in and right back out with no effort, you’re good to go. If not, give them 2 more minutes before testing again.
2. Drain the potatoes, but don’t rinse. Let them sit for about 5 minutes until you can comfortably cut them in half. Throw the halved potatoes in a large bowl. While they’re still warm, toss with the pickle brine, the pepperoncini brine, the vinegar, the celery seeds, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Let the potatoes cool completely and absorb those flavors, about 1 hour.
3. When the potatoes are cool, finely chop the pickles, pepperoncini, and chives. Add them to the bowl with the mayonnaise, mustard, and black pepper and fold everything together. Chop the parsley and dill and add. Lightly toss to mix.
4. Pile the potato salad into a serving bowl, then garnish with more parsley and dill before serving.

Excerpted from What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life by Casey Elsass (Union Square & Co., 2025). Reprinted with permission from the publisher.