German Potato Salad With Fennel And Shallot Relish

• The Potato Salad:
• One recipe of Fennel and Shallot Relish (or less, to taste)
• 1/4 cup finely diced celery (optional), plus a few celery leaves, chopped
• 1 pound of small red and/or white potatoes
• 3 slices natural bacon
• Olive oil to taste (optional)
• 1 teaspoon coarse brown mustard (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup (if necessary)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or minced chives, or both
• 1-2 tablespoons vinegar, if necessary
• Fennel and Shallot Relish:
• 1 small fennel bulb (large enough to make one cup when finely chopped)
• 1/3 cup cup champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar, if you prefer)
• 1 large pinch of salt
• 1 small shallot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

1. the potato salad:
2. put the potatoes, unpeeled, into a pot that's large enough to cover them with 4 inches of cold water. Cook until just tender.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, turn off the heat but leave them in the pan with the hot water. Cut each potato into slices that are about 1/2 inch thick. They should be hot while you are cutting them. Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of vinegar on the slices after each potato has been cut.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, saute the bacon in a skillet large enough to hold the potatoes and the fennel. While the bacon is cooking, chop the herbs.
5. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and drain all but two or three tablespoons of the bacon fat. Coarsely chop the bacon into 1-4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
6. If you are using celery, add it to the skillet and heat very briefly. Deglaze the pan over low heat very briefly, using 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar from the fennel relish. If you don't have that much left after sprinkling it on the potatoes, add some fresh vinegar. Turn off the heat.
7. Add mustard, to taste, and stir. If the mustard or the vinegar from the fennel is too sharp for your taste, add a teaspoon or two of maple syrup.
8. Add the fennel relish and stir well over a low heat. Add the bacon and parsley (plus the chopped celery leaves and fennel leaves, if you are using them). Toss to combine. Turn off the heat.
9. Finally, add the potato slices and very gently toss.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature.
11. the relish:
12. Peel, remove the tops and hard bottom from, and finely chop the fennel bulb. You should have about one cup, chopped.
13. Chop the bright green leaves of the fennel, if there are any, to add with the fresh herbs in the potato salad, and set aside.
14. Put the chopped fennel in a small heavy saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
15. Simmer for about four minutes, then turn the heat off and let sit for another ten minutes or so.
16. Drain and reserve the vinegar, to use in the potato salad

salad, shallot, celery, red andor, natural bacon, olive oil, brown mustard, maple syrup, salt, parsley, vinegar, fennel, fennel, champagne vinegar, salt, shallot, maple syrup

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/german-potato-salad-with-fennel-and-shallot-relish-50143248 (may not work)