This is a modified version of the Serious Eats version and it’s great. It’s the first potato salad I’ve ever had that I actually liked.
One note: at one point he has you sprinkle vinegar over the cooked potatoes. I don’t know how the hell you sprinkle two tablespoons of vinegar over a sheet pan of potatoes, so I massaged the cooked potatoes lightly with my hands after I poured the vinegar over them. Seemed to work just fine.
Ingredients
4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (nobody actually cuts it into cubes, just chop them up into small, potato salad sized pieces)
3 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (can substitute white vinegar no problem), divided
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced, green parts only
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
1/4 cup minced cornichons (can substitute pickle relish. But not sweet relish)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons mustard
Directions
Put the potatoes in a pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add water to cover, and bring to a boil on high heat. Once it boils, reduce to a simmer and cook for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the timer goes off, drain the potatoes and transfer to a sheet pan to cool. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons vinegar. The best way I found to do this was to pour it through my fingers over the potatoes, and then massage them slightly. Not too much, because otherwise they’ll fall apart. I have to mention that I’m really not sure what the hell this is supposed to do and I suspect you can skip the vinegar sprinkling entirely.
Let them cool for half an hour before you proceed.
Now mix everything that isn’t a potato in a large bowl. This includes the rest of the vinegar and sugar, and add a tablespoon of kosher salt. Mix thoroughly, then fold in the cooked potatoes.
The longer you let it sit, the better it tastes. Feel free to make this the day before and stick it in the fridge overnight, comes out great.
eatbensmeat 