The Best Potato Salad

by Qwagga
(Dusseldorf, Germany)

How do I make the best potato salad? When I try to make a potato salad, and use leftover potatoes - the potatoes just taste awful when cold. How can I avoid this?


Chef Todd Says:
As with any procedure, be sure you're starting with the best ingredients your time, money and convenience will allow.

There are two types of potatoes, waxy and mealy. Waxy potatoes are best for potato salad because of a lower moisture content, they hold their shape. Red potatoes or small white "chef" potatoes are examples of waxy. Mealy potatoes are best for baking and mashing because they are drier and don't hold shape. Thus, they're terrible for salads.

Make sure after you cut your potatoes, they are rinsed in water to remove all starch. Then, simmer them in a flavorful liquid until a fork pierces them, but they still hold their shape. Perhaps add some acid like vinegar or lemon to the water to retain color.

The potatoes should be dried and cooled before mixing into salad. You don't want to cook your mayonnaise by adding hot potatoes. Then, some salt and and acid product will help bring out the flavor of the normally bland potato.

German potato salad is usually the most flavorful because the potatoes are marinated in a vinegar and sugar mixture overnight. This gives much greater flavor. Consider marinating the cooked potatoes ahead of time.

Chef Todd.