House Fries Recipe

Prepare potatoes

Rinse the russet potatoes and cut them into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes (house-fries size). Keep the pieces roughly even for uniform cooking.

Place the cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Bring to a gentle boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork but not falling apart, about 10–12 minutes depending on cube size.

Meanwhile, finely dice the dill pickle (remove any very large seeds) and place in a small bowl. Add the white wine vinegar to the pickle pieces and let them sit to soften and flavor while the potatoes cook.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them sit for 5 minutes to steam-dry. While still warm but not piping hot, transfer the potatoes to a large mixing bowl.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, granulated sugar, and celery seed until smooth.

Season the dressing with freshly ground black pepper and a small pinch of salt. Taste and adjust: add a little more sugar for balance or an extra 1/2 teaspoon vinegar from the pickle bowl if you'd like a tangier dressing.

While the potatoes are cooling slightly, finely dice the red onion and celery. Chop the hard-boiled eggs into small pieces. Roughly chop the parsley and snip the chives.

Add the diced red onion, celery, chopped eggs, and the drained pickle pieces (reserve the pickle-vinegar liquid to adjust dressing if needed) to the bowl with warm potatoes.

Pour the dressing over the warm potatoes and gently fold to coat — the warmth helps the potatoes absorb flavor. Add the olive oil and gently fold again to distribute.

Taste and season with salt and additional black pepper to taste. If the salad seems dry, stir in up to 1 tablespoon of the reserved pickle-vinegar liquid or an extra tablespoon of mayonnaise to reach desired creaminess.

Sprinkle chopped parsley and chives over the salad and gently toss to combine. If using, dust with smoked paprika for color and a hint of smokiness.

Let the potato salad cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (ideally 2–4 hours) to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature. Holds well for 2–3 days refrigerated.