How to make the BEST Potato Salad!
So many claim to have the BEST Potato Salad, but if you ask anyone in my family, they will tell you straight up, my Potato Salad IS the BEST! You judge for yourself!
Start with the potatoes
I’ve made my potato salad with Russet, Yukon, Red and Fingerling potatoes! I had fingerling potatoes on hand when I made my salad last week and I love the creaminess of these cute potatoes. And all the colors add to the salad too. Don’t peel the fingerlings but slice any that are larger than a bite before you cook them. Just give them a good scrub before cooking.
Yukon Potatoes are a great choice, they’re creamy, low in starch. Round Red potatoes have less starch and more moisture and are a good choice for potato salad. Russet potatoes are high starch and white flesh and mostly suitable for baking and french fries AND potato salad!. You can make Potato Salad with any of these potatoes! Don’t make a special trip to the grocery store if you have any of these on hand. Be sure to start cooking your potatoes with COLD water to ensure the potatoes are cooked all the way through without over cooking them. Also, add the salt to the water before you add the potatoes. Seasoning the potatoes as they cook will give you a better tasting salad. IMPORTANT TIP: make your potato cubes the same size as possible. This way they will all cook evenly!
Here’s my secret ingredient!
Are you ready for this? It’s Dill Pickle Juice! Just a few tablespoons of the juice straight from the pickle jar will zing up your potato salad. Trust me-just try it.
Techniques to make the best potato salad
- Separate the hard boiled eggs, chopping the whites and adding to the large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, crumble the yolks and mix with 3/4 cup of the mayonnaise and mix until smooth and creamy. Add the pickle juice then add to the large mixing bowl and combine with the other ingredients. Add more mayo and/or pickle juice if needed. Here’s a good tutorial about how to cook the perfect hard boiled egg.
- Don’t overcook the potatoes! Start with COLD salted water, bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low boil. Test doneness with a paring knife, if it inserts easily without the potato cracking open, they’re done. If there is some resistance let them cook for another 1-2 minutes and test again. You want a potato cube that is fully cooked without being mushy!
Di's Potato Salad
Equipment
- Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt This is only salt I will cook with
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 eggs, hard boiled and cooled
- 2 Celery stalks, with leafy tops, diced
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Stone Ground mustard
- ¾-1 cup Mayonnaise more if needed
- 2-4 tablespoons Your favorite Dill Pickle juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Add the peeled and cubed potatoes and 2 tablespoons Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes feel tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 20-25 minutes.
- Shell the eggs, cut in half, remove the yolks and place them into a medium size mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash up the yolks until they are a fine consistency. Add ¾ cup of the mayonnaise and the mustard and stir to a smooth consistency. Add 2 tablespoons of the dill pickle juice and stir. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little more pickle juice. Taste and adjust seasoning or pickle juice.
- Coarsely chop the egg whites and add to a large mixing bowl. add the chopped celery with the leafy tops, and all the herbs. Add the cooled potatoes. Stir to incorporate all the herbs.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture and gently stir, making sure everything is nicely coated with the mixture. If you need more mayonnaise, add a little bit at a time, gently stirring.
