Creamy Potato Salad

Name: Creamy Potato Salad
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American-inspired
Ingredients: 2 lb (1kg) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if you like, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks; 1 tbsp, for the cooking water kosher salt; 2 tbsp (30ml) white wine vinegar; ½ tsp, for the warm potatoes, plus more to taste fine sea salt; 3 large eggs (optional); 0.67 cup (150g) mayonnaise; 1 tbsp (15g) Dijon mustard; 2 stalks celery, finely diced; 3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts; 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional); freshly ground, to taste black pepper

A mayonnaise potato salad with Yukon Gold potatoes, hard-cooked eggs, celery, scallions, and dill, with the vinegar going onto the warm potatoes and the creamy dressing waiting until they cool.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 130 min
Servings: 6 (about 7 cups (about 1.4 kg), as a side for six)

For the potatoes

2 lb / 1kg Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if you like, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) chunks
1 tbsp, for the cooking water kosher salt
2 tbsp / 30ml white wine vinegar
½ tsp, for the warm potatoes, plus more to taste fine sea salt

For the dressing and mix-ins

3 large eggs (optional)
0.67 cup / 150g mayonnaise
1 tbsp / 15g Dijon mustard
2 stalks celery, finely diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (optional)
freshly ground, to taste black pepper

Cook and season the potatoes

Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 2.5 cm (1 in). Add the tablespoon of kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until a knife slides in with just a little resistance. The potatoes should be tender but still holding their shape. Start checking at 10 minutes, since the time depends on the size of the chunks.
If you're using eggs, cook them while the potatoes simmer. Bring a second pot of water to a gentle boil, lower the eggs in, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Move them to a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, then peel and chop them coarsely.
Drain the potatoes and let them steam in the colander for 2 minutes. Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with the vinegar and the ½ tsp fine salt, and toss gently while they are still warm.
Leave the potatoes to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Dress and chill

In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, and plenty of pepper. Stir in the celery, scallions, and dill, if using.
Add the cooled potatoes and the chopped eggs. Fold gently, so the potatoes keep their edges. Taste, and add salt, or a splash more vinegar, if it needs it.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Potato salad is two jobs done in order. First you season the potatoes, and only then do you dress them. Do it the other way round and you're stirring seasoning into mayonnaise and hoping some of it reaches the potato.

Vinegar on the warm potatoes

While they're still warm from the pot, the potatoes get a splash of white wine vinegar and a little salt. That way each chunk is seasoned and a little tangy before the dressing goes on. The mayonnaise then adds richness, not the whole flavor. Wait until the potatoes have cooled to room temperature before you fold in the dressing. Cooled, seasoned potatoes go into a dressing that stays creamy; hot ones loosen it.

Which potato

Yukon Golds are the default here. They're an all-purpose potato that stays in clean chunks through cooking and tossing, with a creamy interior that suits a mayonnaise dressing. Red-skinned waxy potatoes work too, with a firmer bite. Russets are the one to avoid: they tend to break up, and the salad turns into a mash.

Start the potatoes in cold, salted water rather than dropping them into boiling water. They cook through more evenly this way. Pull them as soon as a knife slides in with a little resistance. Slightly firm is easier to live with than a bowl of mush.

The eggs are optional

Chopped hard-cooked eggs add richness and make the salad more of a supper dish. Leave them out if you'd rather have a cleaner, more potato-focused bowl, or if you want one less thing to keep cold. If you use them, cook them until the yolk and the white are firm. The cooking method is in the Classic Egg Salad.

Holding it for a picnic or buffet

This is a salad that people leave out on tables, so the timing matters. Bring it out last. Don't leave it out for more than two hours, or one hour if it's above 90°F (32°C). Past that, throw it away rather than putting it back in the fridge. Refrigerated, it keeps for up to three days.

What to swap

Cider vinegar can stand in for the white wine vinegar. Sour cream can replace a third of the mayonnaise for a tangier, looser dressing. Fresh dill is the herb the salad is written around, but it's optional, and the salad holds up without it.