It has probably been 10-15 years since I last made potato salad. The one thing I remember is tasting it after refrigerating it to “let the flavors meld” and thinking, where did all the flavor go!?! There is something about potatoes (tomatoes too) that absorb seasoning and hide it somewhere.
So I did a little research and found this great article on Serious Eats that gives great tips on seasoning your potato salad. I didn’t use all the tips, using little Dutch yellow potatoes instead of russet, but the seasoning tips were great: season while cooking and right after cooking. Also how to get the potato texture right by starting with cold water and heating the potatoes and water together really worked! The outside and inside of the potato cooked evenly and there wasn’t any outside mush. But really, I don’t mind mush 🙂
The actual recipe is based on Smitten Kitchens’s rosanne cash’s potato salad, minus the eggs (I was rushed and couldn’t be bothered to peel them).
One more thing to note is that I tried Trader Joe’s organic mayo based on a review and you know, Best Foods really is BEST. Best Foods mayonnaise totally goes against my anti-canola oil rules, but I just have to use it every once in a while. I was really hoping the organic mayo would be good because at least it is organic cold pressed canola, maybe a little better since it isn’t GMO, but oh well.
3 pounds potatoes unpeeled cut into even little chunks (I love these Dutch yellows from Trader Joe’s)
Apple cider vinegar & salt (see instructions for amount)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar & little more salt
2 celery stocks finely chopped
1 red onion finely chopped
6 baby dill pickles finely chopped
3/4 cup mayo
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons dill
- Put potatoes and cold water in a big stock pan with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt per quart of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Drain and while still hot add the 2 tablespoons vinegar and a little salt.
- Mix the potatoes with everything else and refrigerate for a few hours.
- Check the seasoning again to make sure the salt hasn’t disappeared!