Quest for Zippy Mac Salad Recipe via kaneohegirlinaz

by kaneohegirlinaz

So some of you may have been reading, I have been trying to get the correct proportions of a recipe from a restaurant in Hawaii. Zippy's is an institution on Oahu to be specific, they have many menu item at their fast food take-out locations as well as casual diners. One side dish that has been long coveted is their Macaroni Salad. Now, you may be thinking to yourself, yeah, so what? Why don't you Google Zippy's Mac Salad and see how many hits you'll get from us forlorn Islanders who have moved away to the Mainland.

I have been searching the internet for years trying to unearth the recipe, only to find others doing the same. One spot I found quoted a letter that was sent to them from a Zippy's Customer Service Manager, listing the ingredients and inviting the recipient to "experiment with it". Well, guess what I did, and I got it!

With the help of members here at Chef Talk.com, I meshed together different recipes, suggestions and some back and forth. The frugal homesick island gal that I am, I didn't want to waste anything, so I made my first batch with a quarter of what I felt would made a full recipe. Seeing as my husband despises mayonnaise, I didn't want to be eating a gross Mac Salad for the next 5 days; though I do love my Mac Salad, not that much. You can try this smaller version or increase the quantities appropriately to your crowd.


ZIPPY'S MAC SALAD RECIPE

1/4 lb Elbow Macaroni, cooked past al dente, to "fat" noodle, soft

1/2 C Best Foods Mayonnaise (or Hellmann's if you're in the East, no substitution)

1/2 Tbsp prepared Mustard (I used Dijon 'cause that's what I had in the 'fridge)

1 Tbsp White Onion, finely grated, juice and pulp (I used a microplane)

2 Tbsp Carrot, finely grated

2 Tbsp Celery, finely diced

Salt and Pepper to taste (I used about 1/8 tsp of each)

Combine all ingredients but the Macaroni in a large mixing bowl.

Prepare the pasta as directed. Test the pasta to make sure that it is past al dente, nice and soft but not falling apart. Drain well. Toss gently with the dressing and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.



Enjoy with your favorite Hawaiian BBQ, steamed white rice and you're now a local my friend! ALOHA