"Your Spanish potato salad has earned much love in these parts and I have discovered another way to improve it by using my Persian stepmother's technique of soaking onion in vinegar and a touch of sugar before adding it to the rest of the salad. I used my nice sherry vinegar and it made the already delicious onion taste even better. I skipped tomatoes altogether.
My stepmother usually cuts the onion and adds enough vinegar to coat the pieces evenly. For this purpose I would not use super stellar vinegar, since you are going to drain the onions afterwards. However, good quality vinegar is important (well, this is not something I should tell you, since I know that you are using excellent products). Then she would add 1/2t sugar (for a large onion), however it really depends on how sweet your onions are to begin with. For the salad recipe I add two large pinches of sugar, just a bit to allow onions to give up their sharpness and to mellow in sugary juices. I let my onions sit for at least 20 minutes, however you can leave them for as long as an hour. (N.B. If you keep them overnight, then you will have a nice side dish for kebabs). Then I drain the onions and toss with the rest of the ingredients. "
Thanks V! I'll try your variation next time I make it. With Seattle weather rapidly warming up I'll be making Papas Aliñás often. ;-)
