RETURN TO PREVIOUS PAGE Chronogram Magazine's "Chef's Spotlight" July 2003   Ma Hickory’s Roasted Potato Salad Ingredients 6 Lbs. Red Bliss B Potatoes 2 Tbsp. Smooth Dijon Mustard 2 Tbsp. Grainy Dijon Mustard ¼ Cup Cooking Oil 1 Large Spanish Onion 1 Tablespoon Butter or Cooking Oil For Dressing 1 Cup Olive Oil ¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard 1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic Handfuls of Fresh Leafy Herbs such as Italian Parsley, Chervil, Dill, Tarragon, Chives, and Oregano Method 1. Preheat oven to 350 F.2. In a large Pot, cover potatoes with cold water and a handful of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately shut off heat and let it come to room temperature. When cooled, quarter potatoes (can be done up to 24 hours in advance). 3. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes with the mustards and cooking oil. Place on a baking pan and roast in oven until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.4. Meanwhile, slice or julienne the onion and add it to a sauté pan with the butter/oil and a pinch of salt. Cook on a medium high burner, while periodically stirring until onions are lightly brown and caramelized.5. For the dressing, combine all the ingredients except the oil in a blender. Turn blender on medium speed, and drizzle in oil until it is incorporated. 6. Combine the roasted potatoes, onions, and dressing in a bowl and season to taste with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy! Serves 12 as a side. Barbecue is a family affair at Hickory BBQ and Smokehouse. Mark Slutzky, a CIA grad and former executive chef at Manhattan’s Avalon Bar and Grill, set up the menu and runs the kitchen. Debbie, Mark’s wife, handles the public relations and marketing. Steve Slutzky, Mark’s brother, is the restaurant’s general manager, and Steve’s wife Jill is the floor manager in the dining room. Parents Michael and Carol are referred to as “Ma” and “Doc” Hickory—some of Doc’s pastels adorn the walls of the restaurant. “Barbecue has always been a family passion,” says Mark Slutzky, explaining that many of the dishes featured on Hickory’s menu are re-imagined family recipes. “With my upscale training and using fresh ingredients indigenous to the Hudson Valley, I thought I could do something new to down-home barbecue,” says Slutzky.Hickory’s menu includes sizeable main courses of freshly smoked ribs, beef, pork, fish, turkey, and chicken, as well as sandwiches. Side dishes include pickled vegetables, macaroni and cheese, roasted potato salad (featured on this page), braised greens, sweet potatoes, and barbecue baked beans. Mark Slutzky says this of Ma Hickory’s Roasted Potato Salad: “This salad is a staple at the restaurant. Offered as a side, it pairs well with all of our barbecue and vegetarian sandwiches. Based on a recipe my mom used to make for us during the summer when fresh herbs were abundant, it is slightly involved, but the freshness of the ingredients really shines through and will make for a great accompaniment to any outdoor barbecue.”