Equipment
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 1000 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and chopped
- 100 g celery, finely diced
- 50 g red onion, finely diced
Dressing and Seasoning
- 240 g mayonnaise, chilled
- 30 g yellow mustard
- 40 g sweet pickle relish
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar
- 5 g kosher salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g paprika
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 367 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 30 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 583 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Cholesterol
- 106 mg
- Potassium
- 901 mg
- Calcium
- 44 mg
- Iron
- 1.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 63 mg
- Phosphorus
- 183 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 54 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin K
- 57 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 0.1 mg
- Folate
- 19 mcg
- Water
- 51 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place the diced potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least 2 centimeters. Add a generous handful of salt. Bring to a boil at 100C or 212F over medium-high heat, then lower the heat slightly and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove the pot from the heat and thoroughly drain the potatoes using a colander. Shake the colander gently to remove excess trapped water.
Transfer the warm potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Immediately drizzle the apple cider vinegar over the hot potatoes and toss gently to coat. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, kosher salt, and black pepper. Whisk the mixture until completely smooth and homogenous.
Once the potatoes have cooled, add the chopped hard-boiled eggs, diced celery, and finely diced red onion to the large bowl with the potatoes.
Pour the prepared mustard and mayonnaise dressing over the potato mixture. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold the ingredients together by scraping the bottom of the bowl and lifting upwards, repeating until everything is evenly coated.
Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator at 4C or 39F for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. Before serving, dust lightly with paprika.
Chef's Notes
- Dressing the warm potatoes with a splash of vinegar is a crucial technique; it allows the potato starches to absorb the tangy flavor deeply before the mayonnaise seals the exterior.
- Always wait for the potatoes to cool completely before adding the mayonnaise-based dressing. The heat will melt the oil in the mayonnaise, causing the dressing to split and become greasy.
- Yukon Gold or waxy potatoes are highly recommended over starchy russets because their lower starch content allows them to hold their shape better during boiling and folding.
- For the cleanest dice on hard-boiled eggs, use a wire egg slicer. Slice the egg once, carefully rotate it 90 degrees, and slice again to create perfect, uniform matchsticks of egg.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Keep tightly covered. Flavors will meld and improve on the second day.
Troubleshooting
Potatoes are mushy and breaking apart into a paste
Cause: Potatoes were overcooked in the boiling phase or folded too aggressively
Fix: Cannot be restored to distinct cubes. Lean into the texture by purposely mashing the mixture slightly to serve as a rustic, creamy potato salad spread
Prevention: Check potatoes frequently while boiling and use a gentle folding motion with a spatula rather than stirring vigorously
Dressing became oily or separated after mixing
Cause: The mayonnaise dressing was added while the potatoes were still hot, causing the emulsion to break
Fix: Stir in an additional spoonful of cold mayonnaise just before serving to help re-emulsify the coating
Prevention: Allow potatoes to cool completely to room temperature before adding the mayonnaise-based dressing
Cultural Context
Potato salad is an indispensable staple of American cookouts, picnics, and potlucks, tracing its roots to European immigrants who brought warm, vinegar-based potato salads to the continent in the 19th century. By the mid-20th century, the widespread commercial availability of mayonnaise transformed the dish into the creamy, cold, mustard-laced side dish universally recognized across the United States today.
