My grandmother was a classic southern cook. As a small child of the North, this was somewhat frightening at times. When I was very little, my older brother and I crept into her kitchen and took a peek in the refrigerator. We were soon sent running in horror when an opened pot revealed a pile of chicken feet, that I swear were somehow standing up!😳 When we weren’t running screaming from her mysterious pots of chicken feet, we were enjoying the recipe for which she was famous.

Granny’s potato salad was beloved by everyone who tasted it. Even my childhood self—who hated mayonnaise—couldn’t resist a few bites. Her potato salad reflected her Geechee Gullah roots. Of course it wouldn’t be a true southern recipe if it was ever written down. A few years before she passed away, I watched hawkishly as she prepared her famous potato salad for a family barbecue. A little of this, a dash of that—no the onions and peppers can’t be run through a food processor—why not Granny?—Because I said so. She was very succinct, but there was a softness hiding behind the deep fry of her 90 year old voice.

Now there may be many potato salad recipes on the internet, but this a genuine Geechee Gullah recipe from the African American people of the islands off South Carolina. The key is to use the right potatoes (always all purpose white) to keep them from turning into mush. Add plenty of sweet pickles, hardboiled eggs and finally green bell pepper. Also the garnishes of paprika and pimento stuffed olives are optional—but really they are not. They add a subtle smoky, salty balance to this creamy salad, that just isn’t the same without them. This is my best approximation of my grandmother’s recipe, though it doesn’t do her’s justice—it will always be the true taste of Granny’s kitchen to me. Excluding the chicken feet!🤣

Veggies & Sides

Traditional Gullah Geechee Potato Salad