Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.
My podcast guest, Christine Pittman shared this recipe for Creamy Ukrainian Dill Potatoes. I invite you to listen to her story, Ep 085 Plot Twist! When It's NOT About The Story while you make this delicious warm potato salad packed with fresh spring flavor.
Christine's Creamy Dill Potatoes came straight from her Baba's kitchen in Canada. Her grandparents were immigrants from Ukraine, where dill and potatoes are abundant.
Her Ukrainian Potatoes recipe (aka Polish Potatoes) is a quick and easy way to celebrate spring any night of the week. They're also perfect for Easter or summer picnics for Memorial Day or the 4th of July.
Pair this with Lori's hot BBQ Beef Sandwiches for a crowd and Adrian's Old Fashioned Lemon Icebox Pie. And if you're a dill lover like me, you'll love this Ukrainian Fish in Red Sauce from Mariupol.
About Christine Pittman
In this episode, Christine shares the story of learning to love the fresh ingredients from her Baba’s massive garden and learning to cook in her parent’s Ukrainian restaurants in Canada. But, plot twist! This is also the story of Christine learning (from her mother, it turns out), that to truly grow as a businesswoman, she had to let go of the story. She had to replace a focus on her own story with something even more important - a focus on the people she serves.
Listen to Christine's Story
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Ingredients
With only 5 ingredients in this recipe, you'll need to choose the best! (But none are expensive!) Here are some tips:
Dill vs. Dill Weed vs. Dill Seed: Are they the same?
The recipe for potatoes with dill calls for A LOT of dill. Here's how to get it right!
- Dill is a herb with feathery leaves and a mild, refreshing flavor. It spreads prolifically so it's also called dill weed.
- Dill seed, on the other hand, comes from the dill plant's multi-headed yellow flowers.
- Dill seed has a stronger flavor and is commonly used in pickling, baking, and spice blends - NOT in this recipe
Which Potatoes?
- Baby Potatoes or New Potatoes are best: These types of potatoes are harvested early. They have a fresh, slightly sweet, spring flavor and thin skins. But they can be expensive.
- Fingerling potatoes are longer and smaller than common potatoes, which makes them a good choice for this recipe. However, they are not harvested early, so they don't have the thin skins of baby/new potatoes.
- Red potatoes are cheap, firm, and have thin skins. They're what I used for this recipe.
- Yukon gold potatoes have a rich flavor, however, they break down easily, so be prepared for that. I prefer to use them for mashed or smashed potatoes than this recipe.
- Russet and other potatoes would come last in my choice. If you choose Russet (baking) potatoes, I would definitely peel them first as their skins are quite tough. I don't bother with other potatoes.
Is heavy cream necessary?
Not necessary - you could choose half and half. But when making creamy potatoes, I say, let's really commit to the "creamy" part of the cream sauce!
What onions are best?
- Part of this recipe's magic is the tender caramelized onions. I like a sweet onion variety (like Vidalia) to complement the fresh spring flavors of the recipe.
- However, if I'm honest, I used yellow when making it for these photographs and it turned out just great!
Can I use dry dill in a creamy dill sauce recipe?
- Sure thing! Goes without saying that the best dill flavor will come from fresh, but in a pinch I wouldn't hesitate to use dried!
- Just substitute a scant teaspoon dry for every tablespoon fresh. That works out to about 5 TABLESPOONS (15 teaspoons) of dry dill.
- Always adjust to your own taste!!
Instructions
This recipe will turn the humble potato into a magical dish in just 20 minutes!
- Boil the potatoes
- Chop and saute the onions in butter
- Add whipping cream & dill to the onions
- Toss all together!
Dietary Compliance
This potatoes with dill recipe checks off a lot of boxes!
- Gluten-free potato salad
- Mayonnaise-free potato salad. Don't like mayo? This is the one for you!
- Vegetarian. As long as you don't add bacon 😉
- Are potatoes Paleo? That's a hotly debated question that I won't weigh in on since I don't subscribe to a Paleo diet. The other ingredients in this recipe are fully Paleo-compliant
Variations
- Some add lemon juice or lemon zest to the dill cream sauce.
- I would HIGHLY recommend adding the zest rather than juice. The acid in the juice could split the sauce a bit.
Equipment
Storage & Safety
Can warm potato salad be served cold the next day?
- Yes, for sure! The potatoes will absorb most of the cream sauce, so it will taste a little different.
How long can Dill Potato Salad sit out?
- This is a mayo-free potato salad, which makes it a little safer.
- In general, I don't like to let it sit out longer than 4 hours.
How long can it last in the fridge?
- The cream will be the first to go. I'd try to eat the salad within 3 days of making it.
Can you freeze potato salad?
- Wouldn't recommend it at all. The potatoes will go watery.
How Much Potato Salad Per Person?
- Make 3 or 4 baby potatoes or 1 red potato per person
- Make a little less if you'll have a lot of side dishes with your main meal
- Make a little more if these are the star dish
More Salads From Around the World
Looking for other global salad recipes? Try these:
Pair with Other Eastern European Dishes
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Recipe
Ukrainian Dill Potatoes in Cream Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Easy warm potato salad in the Polish and Ukrainian tradition - a creamy sauce (no mayo), lots and lots of dill, and soft, sweet caramelized onions! Spring in every bite!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs small potatoes
- 2 tsp plus 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup fresh dill fronds, chopped (approx. 1 oz. package of fresh dill)
Instructions
Cue Up The Episode!
Make sure you listen to Christine's episode, Plot Twist! When It's Not About The Story while you make her Ukrainian Dill Potatoes!
Make The Recipe
- Wash the potatoes and then cut any larger ones in half.
- Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and just cover with cold water. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and stir.
- Partially cover the pot and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- Uncover and reduce heat to low. Stir.
- Simmer the potatoes until they are fork tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain.
- While potatoes cook, in a large skillet melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the whipping cream, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Stir.
- Increase the heat to medium and bring the cream up to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and add the dill.
- Add the drained potatoes to the skillet. Use a large spoon to turn them over in the cream sauce, coating them.
- Gently stir them in the sauce over low heat for 1 minute. Serve.
Notes
Make sure you listen to Christine's episode, Plot Twist! When It's Not About The Story while you make her Ukrainian Dill Potatoes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salads, Side Dishes
- Cuisine: American, Polish, Ukrainian
Nutrition
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 1.26
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 12
- Carbohydrates: 44
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 56
Would love to hear from you!