Enfield Shaker Potato Salad (and Dressing) Recipe

Two even tablespoons dry mustard, one teaspoon each sugar and salt, mix with a little hot water and two tablespoons butter, beat well. Three unbeaten eggs, one at a time, beating well in between. Half a cup of vinegar, two-thirds sweet cream. Cook in a double boiler. Slice potatoes thin. Chop three onions very fine, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with pickled beets and parsley, with three hard-boiled eggs, sliced over the top.

Steam potatoes until just tender. Chill completely. Peel if desired. Thinly slice the potatoes- 1/4 inch at the most. (Chilling helps keep the slices thin and whole when you slice the potatoes.)

Finely chop the scallions, using both white and green parts; should yield about 1/2 cup.

Gently toss the potatoes and the scallions with about 1 cup of the cold salad dressing (recipe below). Set aside a little bowl with the extra dressing for diners to top off their salad. Salt and pepper to taste.

Turn onto a platter and garnish to taste with pickled beets, hard boiled eggs, and chopped parsley.

Makes 8 generous servings.

In the top of a double boiler whisk dry mustard, sugar, and salt with 2 teaspoons hot water and the butter until well-combined.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating well each time.

Whisk in the vinegar and the heavy cream.

Place bowl over boiling water and stir continuously until mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon (about 10 minutes).

Refrigerate until cold. Dressing will thicken as it cools.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups dressing, enough for a salad made with 3 pounds (1360 grams) of potatoes, as well as for additional individual garnish when the salad is served.

Kitchen-Tester’s Note: I like to use scallions in my potato salads, but you may prefer to use some finely chopped onions, as in Martha Wetherill’s version, instead of the scallions. However, I do suggest “three onions” may be excessive, unless they are very small. Dressed potatoes keep well in the refrigerator for a day or two. To garnish the potatoes, consider using a second jar of slicked pickled beets. Or if you’re not a fan of beets, you may wish to substitute fresh sliced tomatoes.

This recipe first appeared in Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers, by William Lassiter (New York: Greenwich Book Publishers, 1959, p. 214.) and is attributed to Sister Martha Wetherhill. Shaker Recipes for Cooks and Homemakers was reprinted by Bonanza Books in 1978 under the title Shaker Recipes and Formulas for Cooks and Homemakers. Both editions are out of print, but are available at reasonable cost at www.abebooks.com or www.eBay.com.