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Memorial Day Recipes
Memorial Day weekend is the traditional way Americans welcome Summer. Most children are out of school, pools and water parks open, and it is officially backyard barbecue season.
Brazilians are famous for their barbecue, which substitutes flame-grilled beef, chicken, and sausages for the American burgers and brats. Many of the side dishes are similar to those found at a stateside cookout or potluck, with plenty of mayo-based salads, rolls, and chips and dip.
Salads incorporating mayonnaise are so popular in Brazil that they are simply called “maionese.” One of the maionese you are likely to find at a Brazilian barbecue is the maionese de batata-literally, the “mayonnaise salad of potato.”
The base of the Brazilian version of potato salad will sound very familiar: boiled potatoes, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper. Instead of boiled eggs or green onion, which are popular in the American version, Brazilians add a little sweetness with diced carrots.
In maionese de batata, the carrots and potatoes are chopped to the same size and boiled together. Finished with a little parsley and plenty of mayonnaise, and you have a basic Brazilian potato salad.
Many Brazilians like to dress up their salads with additional ingredients. During the holidays, for example, potato salad is served with raisins and sliced apples. You may also find other typical Brazilian additives, like peas, corn, sliced green olives, diced ham, and chopped onion. If you want to be really decadent, top your salad with some crispy batata palha-the ubiquitous Brazilian potato sticks.
In other words, like many Brazilian dishes, this one is highly customizable. Add whatever you like! Just don’t skip the carrots if you want a salad that is uniquely Brazilian.
Recipe for Brazilian Potato Salad (Maionese de Batata)
Ingredients:
6 medium golden potatoes
4 large carrots
4 oz mayonnaise
¼ cup fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Peel carrots and potatoes. Dice in about half inch cubes so they are roughly uniform.
- Bring a large stock pot to a boil. Add your diced vegetables and cook until the potatoes are fork tender and the carrots have softened. The potatoes will cook faster than the carrots. This means your carrots will still have a little bite to them, and that is exactly what you want.
- When your potatoes are tender, remove the vegetables from the heat and strain in a colander. Run cold water over the vegetables to keep them from overcooking.
- Allow your veggies to cool completely before you add your mayonnaise. The texture may be curdled or otherwise unpleasant if the mayo is added when the potatoes and carrots are too warm.
- Once cooled, add your mayonnaise, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Top with additional fresh parsley. Serve chilled.
What to Eat With Brazilian Potato Salad
Maionese de batata is designed to pair with grilled meats, like picanha, spicy sausage, or smoky chicken. Texas de Brazil now offers hand-curated butcher boxes with the best cuts of meat delivered right to your door. Try serving home-grilled picanha, Brazilian potato salad, and creamy, refreshing Brazilian lemonade at your next cookout. We guarantee you’ll win barbecue season.
