What’s the best way to make potato salad?
Potato salad is arguably America’s favorite side that adorns the table at barbecues and picnics alike. However, like many things in the American culinary world, the best way to make it can be up for debate and almost always yields strong opinions.
For the most part, potato salad is divided into 3 camps: mustard, no mustard, or German (no mayo, often warm). Mix ‘ins vary, but typically it will at least include hard-boiled eggs, celery and some kind of fresh herb (often dill). There is also often a sprinkle of paprika for a nice pop of color.
Mustard Potato Salad
The “classic” potato salad includes mustard. The mustard also gives it that signature yellow-ish color. The recipe is pretty basic: potatoes, mayo, mustard, hard-boiled eggs, chopped celery, fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Whatever mix ‘ins you include, the result is smooth, creamy, tangy and starchy.
Mustard-Free Potato Salad
There is a smaller subset of the population that staunchly hates mustard in their potato salad. Or, maybe it’s regional and we are just not from the no-mustard region. The recipe is similar to regular potato salad only without mustard. The key to a mustard-free potato salad is being sure to include a good splash of vinegar (we like apple cider) to give it that signature tang.
German Potato Salad
For the mayo haters out there, German potato salad is where it’s at. German potato salad is almost in its own category because it typically includes bacon, uses red potatoes, and the dressing is a mayo-free combination of mustard, vinegar and a little bit of sugar. It’s also often served warm but room temperature works as well.
What about our magical potato salad? For the record, we are team mustard! However, regardless of how you prefer yours, here are a few of our pro tips.
Mix everything while the potatoes are warm so they absorb all the delicious flavor from that dressing!
Dice your potatoes ahead of time for faster cooking. Make sure the pieces are all the same size for even cooking.
To avoid watery potato salad, use starchy potatoes instead of waxy (we like Yukon golds) and after draining put them back in the warm pot on low heat for few minutes to help any clinging water to evaporate.
Want to try our magical potato salad? Check out our picnic baskets! Interested in something custom-made? No problem, our personal chef services can prepare anything you or your family prefers.
What are your thoughts - mustard yay or nay?