A traditional, home-cooked aspect dish for greater than 100 years, Japanese Potato Salad is distinct for its colourful addition of contemporary greens, creamy texture, and rounded taste. It‘s the final word crowd-pleaser!
Summer season cookouts and vacation get-togethers are the place potato salads sometimes shine, however this recipe for Japanese Potato Salad (ポテトサラダ) is one which I take pleasure in making year-round. In Japan, it reveals up in bento bins, comfort shops, and whilst a bar snack at izakaya.
In the present day, let‘s learn to make this traditional Japanese potato salad that each one ages will love.
What’s Japanese Potato Salad?
Very similar to potato salads within the US, Japanese potato salad is a well-liked occasion dish and it’s been a in style dish in Japan for over 120 years. It has the right steadiness of wealthy, tart flavors with a contact of sweetness and a nice number of textures.
As with many different yoshoku dishes (like Curry Rice, Croquettes, and Tonkatsu), potato salad doubtless made its first look in the course of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). After a Japanese chef tried to recreate the favored Jap European Olivier Salad (also called Russian Salad), this Japanese model rapidly gained reputation.
What Makes It Totally different from Different Potato Salads?
German and American potato salad recipes are sometimes vinegar-based with chunks of waxy potatoes and components like mustard, bacon, and contemporary parsley or chives. However within the Japanese model, you will see quite a lot of colourful components like carrots, corn, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber, and ham.
The greens add sweetness and substance to the salad, and the simplicity of seasonings delivers a balanced taste. There’s much less of an acidic base due to the absence of vinegar.
Each household in Japan has their very own tackle potato salad, and that’s one of many many issues I really like about it. You possibly can add components of your alternative (e.g., onion, peas, string beans, apple, or canned tuna). It is going to be simply as nutritious and attention-grabbing.
The potatoes are virtually utterly mashed (however I like to recommend leaving just a few chunks), so the feel is creamy. Most significantly, the important thing distinction in taste comes from the kind of mayonnaise we use (extra on this beneath).
Elements for Japanese Potato Salad
Yow will discover many of the components for this potato salad in an everyday grocery store. See the recipe card beneath for the complete ingredient checklist.
- Russet Potatoes – Waxy potatoes are generally steered for potato salad, however there’s a purpose we use a starchier potato for this recipe. Japanese potato salad is creamier in texture than its Western counterpart. Whereas we don’t mash all of them the best way, the feel of russet potatoes makes it straightforward to interrupt up whereas mixing.
- Corn – I really like the addition of corn to the potato salad. The tiny kernels are full of sweetness and embody the flavors of summertime. You should use canned or frozen for straightforward preparation.
- Carrots – This provides one other aspect of pure sweetness to the salad.
- Cucumber – Mixing thinly sliced cucumber into the salad provides it a refreshing taste, to not point out a pleasant crunch!
- Boiled egg – Egg and potatoes are extraordinarily complementary. Plus, the added protein makes it a considerable dish.
- Ham – In case you don’t eat meat, merely omit it!
- Seasonings – Kewpie Japanese mayo, rice vinegar, salt, and freshly floor black pepper.
What’s Kewpie Mayo?
KEWPIE (キューピー) is the most well-liked model of Japanese mayonnaise. To make the potato salad distinctly Japanese, you have to use Japanese mayonnaise, which provides a wealthy and tangy part that you may’t simply substitute.
Yow will discover the well-known, red-capped squeeze bottle of Kewpie mayo in most Asian grocery shops or on Amazon. Some mainstream grocery shops corresponding to WholeFoods and Goal might also carry Keypie mayo now. Be sure you get the imported, Japanese package deal Kewpie as a result of American packaged one tastes in another way from the imported model.
In case you have a bit little bit of time, do that Do-it-yourself Japanese Mayonnaise recipe!
The way to Make the Greatest Japanese Potato Salad
Here’s a fast overview to make Japanese potato salad.
- Peel, minimize, and boil the potatoes till a skewer pierces a potato easily, about quarter-hour.
- Whereas cooking the potatoes, put together the remainder of the components.
- As soon as the potatoes are executed, mash the cooked potatoes and season them. Let cool utterly.
- When the potatoes are cool, mix them with the opposite components.
- Season the potato salad with Japanese kewpie mayo. Chill and serve!
Cooking Suggestions
It’s an easy recipe, however to make the very best Japanese potatoes, don’t overlook to comply with the following pointers!
- Reduce components right into a bite-sized, uniform form – Due to the graceful texture of the smashed potatoes, you‘ll need to minimize the opposite components into small items so that they incorporate properly.
- Take away extra moisture from all components – Extra moisture will smash the feel and flavors of potato salad. So it‘s key to withdraw the moisture from cucumbers and potatoes earlier than mixing all of them.
- Add seasonings to scorching potatoes – The potatoes will soak up flavors properly when they’re nonetheless heat. So add rice vinegar and pepper, aside from the mayonnaise! Learn subsequent.
- Let the potatoes cool – Maintain on to the mayo. In case you combine mayonnaise whereas the potatoes are scorching, the mayonnaise will separate. Subsequently, work on the opposite components whereas the potatoes quiet down. It‘s a good suggestion to begin cooking the potatoes first to present them loads of cooling time.
- Step by step add mayonnaise – All of us need to use much less mayonnaise, however it’s the important taste so that you simply can‘t skimp right here. I recommend including simply two-thirds of the mayo first, then style to see if you wish to add the remainder. A sprinkle of salt can deliver out the flavors you want.
- Chill the potato salad earlier than serving – Not solely does it style higher, however chilling additionally provides time for the flavors to meld collectively.
The way to Retailer Japanese Potato Salad
You possibly can maintain the leftovers in an hermetic container and retailer within the fridge for as much as 3–4 days or within the freezer for two–3 months.
What to Serve with Japanese Potato Salad
You possibly can‘t beat the flexibility of this salad! For that purpose, it’s a dish that you may pair with absolutely anything. Another methods I prefer to take pleasure in Japanese Potato Salad are alongside Karaage (fried rooster) or Hambagu (Japanese hamburger steak).
In case you’re having a barbecue or attending a potluck, see my checklist of Japanese recipes that go completely with this potato salad.
We not often have leftovers of this dish in my home, however after we do, I really like making these Potato Salad Pork Rolls.
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Japanese Potato Salad
A traditional, home-cooked aspect dish for greater than 100 years, Japanese Potato Salad is distinct for its colourful addition of contemporary greens, creamy texture, and rounded taste. It‘s the final word crowd-pleaser!
Elements
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
To Put together the Potatoes
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Peel 2 russet potatoes and minimize them into 1½-inch (3.8-cm) items; I normally minimize one russet potato into 4 items. They need to be roughly the identical measurement in order that they’ll prepare dinner evenly.
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Put the potatoes in a medium pot and add chilly water to cowl by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Add 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt to the pot and activate the warmth to medium excessive. Cowl with the lid, leaving it barely ajar to keep away from a boil-over. Tip: Begin cooking the potatoes in chilly water to warmth them up slowly so that they prepare dinner via evenly. Whilst you‘re cooking and cooling the potatoes, put together the opposite components (see subsequent part).
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As soon as the water is boiling, take away the lid and scale back the warmth to medium. Cook dinner on a delicate boil till a skewer pierces a potato easily, about quarter-hour.
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Drain the water utterly from the pot utilizing the lid to carry again the potatoes. Put the pot with the potatoes again onto the range over medium warmth to evaporate any remaining water utterly, shaking the pot always to keep away from sticking. When there isn’t a liquid left, take away the pot from the warmth.
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Mash the potatoes calmly, leaving some small chunks for texture. Switch the potatoes to a big bowl.
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Whereas the potatoes are scorching, add 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) and freshly floor black pepper. Put aside to chill. Why not add mayonnaise right here? In case you add it whereas the potatoes are scorching, the mayonnaise will separate. Subsequently, work on the opposite components whereas the potatoes quiet down.
To Put together the Different Elements
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Whereas the potatoes are cooking and cooling, put together the opposite components. Carry a small pot of water to a boil for cooking the carrots and corn (subsequent step). Peel and minimize 2 inches carrot in half or quarters lengthwise, after which minimize crosswise into skinny slices. You could use a mandoline slicer to chop it thinly.
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As soon as the water is boiling, prepare dinner the carrot slices and ¼ cup (40 g) frozen corn for five minutes. In case you‘re utilizing canned corn, you don‘t must boil it.
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Alternatively, you should utilize the microwave to warmth the carrot for a couple of minutes till a skewer pierces it easily; don’t overcook them or they are going to get mushy. Drain the water in a fine-mesh sieve and put aside to chill.
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Add 1 massive egg (50 g every w/o shell) to the identical pot and add sufficient chilly faucet water to cowl by 1 inch. Activate the warmth to medium and convey to a boil. As soon as boiling, set a timer for 11–12 minutes and scale back the warmth to keep up a delicate simmer. When the timer goes off, shock the egg in chilly water till cool.
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Take away and discard the shell. Slice the boiled egg and chop it into smaller items. Put aside.
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Peel 1 Persian cucumber (depart some pores and skin on to create a striped sample), and thinly slice it. Tip: In case you‘re utilizing a big cucumber, chances are you’ll want to chop it in half or quarters lengthwise earlier than slicing it.
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Sprinkle ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the cucumber slices, knead them together with your arms, and allow them to stand till they launch their moisture, about 5 minutes. Then, squeeze the cucumber to take away any moisture and put aside. Tip: Salt attracts out moisture from the greens via osmosis. This course of retains them from releasing moisture into the salad and diluting the flavors.
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Reduce 2 slices Black Forest ham into 1-inch (2.5-cm) skinny strips and put aside.
Diet
Diet Information
Japanese Potato Salad
Quantity per Serving
% Day by day Worth*
* P.c Day by day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight-reduction plan.
Editor’s Observe: This submit was initially printed on August 31, 2011. It was up to date with new photographs on June 28, 2021, and republished with extra useful info and a brand new video on April 12, 2024.
