Instructions

1. If making your salad with bacon, cook the bacon in a large sauté pan or dutch oven until crisp; drain and crumble. Reserve bacon and 1/4 cup of the drippings.
2. Place the whole potatoes in a pot of cold water, covering the potatoes with at least 3-inches of water. Place the pot over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. After 10 minutes of cooking, periodically check for doneness by piercing the center of a potato with the blade of a paring knife. You might need to remove smaller potatoes from the water a little sooner and let larger potatoes cook a little longer. The cooking time will depend on the size of the potatoes. Drain and set potatoes aside.
3. Mix the flour, sugar, salt, celery seed, and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (if making without the bacon) or the reserved bacon fat in a sauté pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and celery to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Add the flour mixture and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the vinegar and water and mix with a wire whip. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer for 5 minutes.
6. While the dressing is simmering, slice the potatoes into ¼-inch rounds. You can also cut potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes, especially if the potatoes are larger.
7. Add potatoes and if making with bacon, the bacon. Be gentle when stirring the potatoes into the dressing, to avoid breaking them up too much. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until heated through. Remove from heat.
8. Serve warm, room temperature, or cold. The flavors are best when allowed to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. This recipe yields 6 cups.