Classic Potato Salad: A Family Recipe Perfected
Yield:
Serves 8 to 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time:1 hour
A Nostalgic Twist on a Classic: My Mom's Potato Salad
Potato salad holds a special place in my heart, and every time I think of potato salad I have memories of my childhood. My mom used to make a big bowl of potato salad for family gatherings, picnics, and weekday dinners. She had a few variations and she would experiment from time to time but her potato salad was a very common thing in my house growing up.
Over the years, I’ve tweaked her recipe to suit my taste buds, adding my own twist while still keeping the essence of her original creation. This recipe showcases my love for potatoes—one of my absolute favourite vegetables—and the secret to its deliciousness: perfectly cooked potatoes and Kewpie mayo.
Why Because, Science!
Alright, let's nerd out a bit on potatoes and why they make this salad so amazing.
Starch Content: Russet potatoes are my go-to for this salad because of their high starch content. When cooked, these potatoes become fluffy and absorbent, soaking up all the delicious dressing while keeping their shape. This makes for a creamy texture that clings perfectly to the dressing. Waxy potatoes can be a good substitute, but they don't offer the same level of creaminess and absorption as russets.
Porosity: Hot potatoes are super porous, which is awesome for absorbing flavours. Adding vinegar to the potatoes while they’re still warm lets that tangy flavour seep right in. Every bite becomes a flavour explosion!
Mayonnaise Magic: Kewpie mayonnaise is the secret sauce here. For anyone that knows me, I love Kewpie mayo. And for most professional cooks in the kitchen, we use Kewpie over regular mayo for the high end menus. The only thing that can beat kewpie mayo is if you make your own signature mayo from scratch.
Ingredients:
1.8 kg (4 pounds) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, whole
90 ml (6 tablespoons) apple cider vinegar (or any other vinegar), divided
2 ribs celery, finely diced (about ⅔ cup)
225 g (1 medium) red onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced (about ½ cup, optional)
¼ cup fresh chives, washed and minced (or other herbs like dill or tarragon)
¼ cup chopped dill pickles
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard (or Dijon mustard)
1¼ cups Kewpie mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise) [Link to freshly made mayo]
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped (prepare as you like; I prefer to steam them—recipe coming soon)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Fresh ground black pepper
Tools Needed:
Large saucepan
Colander
Rimmed baking sheet
Large bowl
Rubber spatula
Method:
Prepare the Potatoes:
Starting with Cold Water: Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in a large saucepan. Add 2 litres (2 quarts) of cold water, ensuring the potatoes are fully submerged. Add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and the 3 whole garlic cloves to the water.\
Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender, about 10 minutes.
Check for doneness: To check if the potatoes are done, poke a piece with a fork or a knife. It should go through easily without the potato falling apart.
Drain and Dry Potatoes: Drain the potatoes and remove the garlic cloves. Return the drained potatoes to the same pot and place them back on the stove with the burner off. Let them sit for 5 minutes to evaporate excess water, making them fluffy.
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and then transfer the potatoes to a rimmed baking sheet. Allow them to cool to room temperature, for about 30 minutes.
Prepare the Hard-Boiled Eggs:
Prepare the hard-boiled eggs as you like. I prefer to steam them—recipe coming soon. Once prepared, peel and chop the eggs, and set them aside.
Prep the Vegetables:
While the potatoes are cooling, finely dice the celery and red onion, thinly slice the scallions (if using), and mince the dill (or optional herbs). Chop the dill pickles. Ensure all vegetables are washed and set aside.
Make the Dressing:
In a large bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, celery, red onion, scallions (if using), dill (or optional herbs), dill pickles, whole grain mustard (or Dijon mustard), and Kewpie mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise). Stir with a rubber spatula until well combined.
Mix the Salad:
Once the potatoes are cooled to room temperature, gently fold them into the dressing using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to mash the potatoes; you want them to remain in pieces.
Add the chopped hard-boiled eggs to the mixture and fold them in gently.
Season to taste with fresh ground black pepper and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the salad rest in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. This resting time allows the flavours to meld together.
Eugene’s Tips:
Starting with Cold Water:
Tip: Always start cooking your potatoes in cold water rather than dropping them into boiling water.
Why it works: Starting the potatoes in cold water ensures they cook evenly from the outside to the inside. This prevents the outside from becoming overcooked and mushy while the inside is still undercooked. Potatoes heat up gradually, allowing their cells to break down evenly, resulting in a tender and fluffy texture.
Seasoning Hot Potatoes:
Tip: Season the potatoes with vinegar while they are still hot.
Why it works: Hot potatoes are more porous and better at absorbing flavours. When you add vinegar to the hot potatoes, it penetrates deeply, ensuring each bite is tangy and flavourful. This technique prevents the potatoes from being bland and enhances their overall taste.
Draining and Drying Potatoes:
Tip: After draining the cooked potatoes, return them to the pot and let them sit with the burner off for about 5 minutes.
Why it works: This step allows excess water to evaporate, making the potatoes fluffier. By drying the potatoes this way, you avoid a watery potato salad, ensuring the dressing clings better to the potatoes and enhances the overall texture.
Using Whole Garlic Cloves:
Tip: Add whole garlic cloves to the boiling water with the potatoes, then remove them after cooking.
Why it works: The garlic infuses a subtle, mellow flavour into the potatoes during cooking. Removing the cloves afterwards ensures the garlic doesn't overpower the dish, providing a delicate background note that complements the other ingredients.
Properly Hard-Boiling Eggs:
Tip: Steam or boil the eggs while the potatoes are cooking.
Why it works: Steaming or boiling the eggs separately ensures they are cooked perfectly without overcooking. Overcooked eggs can have a greenish ring around the yolk and a rubbery texture. By cooking them properly, you get creamy yolks and tender whites that enhance the salad's richness.
Choosing the Right Potatoes:
Tip: Use russet potatoes for this salad. They have a starchy texture that absorbs flavours well.
Why it works: Russet potatoes break down slightly when cooked, which helps thicken the dressing and enhances the salad's creaminess. Their open texture also allows them to absorb more dressing, making each bite flavourful.
Uniform Cutting:
Tip: Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces for even cooking.
Why it works: Uniformly cut potatoes ensure that all pieces cook at the same rate, preventing some from being undercooked while others are overcooked. This results in a consistent texture throughout the salad.
A Personal Connection
Potatoes have always been a household staple growing up in my kitchen. My father would buy them the sack every week because we ate them so often. They’re versatile, nutritious, and incredibly comforting. My mom’s potato salad was a fixture at every family gathering, and making it now feels like a warm hug from home.
Adjusting the recipe was my way of honouring my mom’s cooking while making it my own. The key to the perfect potato salad lies in cooking the potatoes just right—tender but not mushy—and using Kewpie mayo, which adds a unique, rich flavour that regular mayo just can’t match.
Give It A Try!
Enjoy this tangy and delightful potato salad, perfect for summer picnics, barbecues, or as a vibrant side dish any time of the year. This recipe, like all of my recipes, are never set in stone. Please take what you like from mine and feel free to adjust it to your taste buds.
I love seeing how others enjoy this recipe, so feel free to comment below, leave a review, and tag me on socials @the_eugefood. Happy cooking!
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Hi, I'm Eugene, but many of you might recognize me as "The_EugeFood". With over two decades working in diverse kitchens, I've come to cherish the genuine connections and shared experiences that cooking brings. For me, it's not about the high-pressure, competitive world you see on TV. It's about the joy of gathering around a table, the stories shared over simmering pots, and the laughter that follows a shared meal. I'm here to demystify the culinary world, to show you that if you can boil water for cup noodles, you're already on your way. Cooking isn't just a skill; it's a journey of discovery, and I invite you to join me on this adventure to becoming a better cook.
