Japanese Potato Salad
This is a study in texture. Unlike versions that rely on large, waxy chunks, this salad plays with the contrast between creamy starch, snap-crackle cucumber, and the savory chew of ham.
Temperature control is your main lever.
Season the potatoes while they are steaming hot so they soak up the vinegar. If you let them cool first, they will remain bland regardless of how much you add later.
- large mixing bowl
- potato masher
- sharp chef's knife
- colander
What goes in.
- 1 lbYukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1Japanese cucumber (or 1/2 English cucumber), sliced into paper-thin rounds
- 1/2yellow onion, minced fine
- 3 ozthin-sliced ham, cut into matchsticks
- 2hard-boiled eggs, peeled
- 1 tbsprice vinegar
- 1/2 cupJapanese mayonnaise
- to tasteblack pepper
Respect the starch
Do not mash until perfectly smooth. Use your tool to break the potatoes down, but leave some small, irregular chunks to provide structure against the creaminess.
The method.
Prepare the vegetables
Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cucumber slices and minced onion. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze them firmly in a clean kitchen towel to remove every drop of excess moisture.
Boil the potatoes
Place potatoes in cold salted water. Bring to a boil and cook until a knife slides through with zero resistance. Drain thoroughly and return them to the empty, hot pot for one minute to evaporate remaining surface water.
Season and mash
Transfer hot potatoes to a bowl. Add the rice vinegar immediately and mash until you reach a semi-chunky consistency. Let them cool until just warm to the touch.
Fold and combine
Add the squeezed cucumbers, onions, and ham. Roughly crumble the hard-boiled eggs into the bowl. Fold in the mayonnaise and black pepper until just coated.
Other turns to take.
The Corn Addition
Fold in a half-cup of canned sweet corn for an extra pop of texture and natural sweetness.
Katsu Style
Omit the ham and serve as a side to fried pork cutlets to balance the richness of the oil.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always squeeze the liquid out of the cucumbers and onions; otherwise, your salad will become watery after sitting for an hour.
Use a potato masher with holes rather than a fork to maintain the correct structural integrity of the potato.
Chilling the finished salad for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator helps the flavors settle and the consistency firm up.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use standard American mayonnaise?
You can, but Japanese mayonnaise is higher in egg yolk content and uses rice vinegar instead of distilled vinegar, which is key to the authentic flavor profile of this dish.
How long does this keep?
It is best eaten within 24 hours. The vegetables will eventually release moisture if kept longer.
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