Potato Salad

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Here’s some more details on some fun potato salad science, along with the full written recipe: www.seriouseats.com/the-food-...

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Potato salad is easy.

[@zt1788]

Tell that to the potato..

[@owen-fs2cv]

Love you

[@johnnormanphillips2932]

Correct

[@no-ot2ov]

it only takes 3 days to make, 3 DAYS

[@mikeymikd]

Did you lick the mayo spoon? I really hope you did.

[@stoqpotz]

Me: i hate potato salad Kenji: today we're going to make potato salad Me: exquisite

[@joecwik]

Right there with ya.

[@whette_fahrtz]

I also hate potato salad but damn if I didn't want a plate of this one.

[@1337billybob]

Check out German style. A vinegar centric rather than Mayo.

[@theblobfish9614]

@@1337billybob my mother makes one with a vinegar dressing tomatoes and arugula and its also great. Only thing that makes it german tho is that we live in germany

[@AFKnaHSama]

@@theblobfish9614 where? lol i am asking for a friend? I am living in Austria btw

[@armadillerff]

“You’re really not eating potato salad for the health benefits anyway.” J. Kenji Lopez-Alt keeping it real as always

[@dmc01]

"It took us three days to make that potato salad! THREE DAYS!!"

[@Julesreynoso]

David, you sir, are a man of culture.

[@ninnusridhar]

Ah yes, beach picnic potato salad... Ferment it in cabage water

[@Tearyatobitz]

🥊🥋

[@dovion]

You could see the internal struggle Kenji was having on whether or not to lick the mayo spoon. The man even had to make a strategic edit cut just to contemplate it. In the end we will never know if the spoon was licked.

[@blundettoad]

One day we will live in a world where a human may lick their spoon carefree. Not today, but some day.

[@colehelman9138]

Omg my thoughts exactly

[@thelazyrabbit4220]

Yes.

[@jaredop]

You know he did it. I would have

[@armadillerff]

He totally licked the spoon.

[@TheJVBlackbelt]

"They will be at a... BOILING" lmao

[@michaelmarshall775]

🤣🤣

[@hattree]

I don't think I've ever seen someone make so little potato salad at once.

[@phishtrader7744]

I have my mom's recipe, but I don't have the giant Tupperware bowl she had to make it in. Also, it would kind of be a lot of potato salad for one person.

[@lillypatience]

i ♥ the foot tap on jamon's paw 🐶

[@rise4097]

I like to think that Kenji's family is craving a certain dish and then Kenji starts to make it but then decides to make a video and then the fam has to wait 3x as long to eat the dish lol

[@aidenjulian1334]

And then he still gets it done quicker than I would

[@Foolian1332]

my heart jumped at the closeness of that horizontal onion slice. that is the confidence of a man whose chef knife is an extension of his body

[@pyrosive]

Kenji, would love you to explain how you use and maintain your cutting boards. I've noticed you use a variety and it would be great to know how you choose which to use (veg, raw meat, general, etc.) and how you maintain them and keep them clean

[@DietBajaBlast]

Plastic cutting boards can go in the dishwasher or autoclave. red for meat, blue for seafood, etc. Wood boards are hand wash only with soapy water, and oil with mineral oil when needed.

[@rob0tmassacre]

@@DietBajaBlast casually sticking my 4 dollar cutting board into an autoclave

[@wiltchamberlain9920]

How long until Kenji is lighting his stove with a flamethrower?

[@jonathannagel7427]

If he still has various propane woks, that’d be faster and more fiery! 😷

[@nicolasguerin4678]

I was wondering how long until he needs to light the torch with a lighter and the stove with the torch. 😉

[@Ladderphobia]

Thanks for showing all the steps to cutting. I always felt like I was slow, or over handling the vegetables. But it's encouraging to know that for cooking at home, you do the same amount.

[@kell1017]

Omg thank you! I was always told to put vinegar in the boiling water and my potatoes would seriously take soooo long to cook (25+ minutes), I thought I was going crazy lol. Excited to make it this way

[@loes1727]

I made this potato salad last week from your book, and got so many compliments from my family! They loved it 😄. Thanks Kenji!

[@debbyd5729]

Love the warning about the old photos and comic sans font. 😆😆 Also, I’m always in awe of how clean some people’s half sheets stay. Mine are brown with caked on oil no matter how much I scrub. I just consider it “seasoned” like my cast iron. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@Leguminator]

I have sheets for the oven and separate sheets for food prep. The oven ones are, shall we say --- very well seasoned. The food prep sheets are mostly 1/4 and 1/8 sheets. Webstaurantstore dot com is a great source for sheet pans as well as just about any commercial grade cookware you may be interested in.

[@Owen-wc1wr]

Barkeeper's friend will sort them out!

[@violetviolet888]

Seasoning Your Baking Sheets to Improve Browning with Helen Rennie kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqPYl3qQqLVgoNE

[@violetviolet888]

@@epiccollision If you watch the video, you'll see there is a tremendous difference. Parchment is a distinctly separate component.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Barkeepers friend and/or the cleaning cycle in your oven.

[@xMithras]

Thanks for the comic sans warning, I definitely need to be mentally prepared for stuff like that

[@joannaputerbaugh3773]

I made this for a Father's Day BBQ and it was a hit! I've made potato salad several times in the past but adding vinegar and sugar to the potatoes right out of the boiling water then cooling was a game changer! Thanks so much for the recipe and tips, I'll be keeping this one for sure!

[@sandrows]

What I always love about your videos is that you specify the reason behind every thing.

[@hendu7111]

I have not watched this video just yet but I've been binge watching your videos and I love them. I am not a chef nor have I ever worked in a restaurant in anyway but in the last few years I've really started to enjoy cooking and your tutorials are very easy to follow, ingredients are usually fairly simple and I love the Korean spins on several of your recipes. My wife and I live in a fairly small condo so I feel that my kitchen is relatively similar to your, as far as size goes so its relatable in that aspect! Lastly, love the dog!

[@jerim4543]

Absolutely agree that vinegar on hot potatoes is the secret to great potato salad. But Kenji, who makes such a small batch? I would be run out of town if I only made two potatoes! I eat that much during "quality control."

[@stinkabella4218]

I've used Martha's recipe in oast. She also sprinkled vinegar on hot spuds. She also went for the cornichon. I like this recipe because it's light on the mayo.

[@kw3rkygurl406]

You know you're the boss when you ignite your burner with a blow torch. Also, my family never put sugar in our potato salad and we used pickle juice instead of vinegar.

[@Bigdaddybiscuit]

How satisfying was it when all the chives popped out instantly

[@crabmansteve6844]

I love potato salad so much, it seems that every ethnicity has their own go to potato salad or potato salad-esque dish and I've yet to run into one I didn't like. Potatoes are appreciated by all.

[@kittycatyt4562]

Except the version with raisins in it..and German style..and any store bought 🤢🤮

[@crabmansteve6844]

@@kittycatyt4562 I'll have to agree with you there, I don't hate it, but I prefer not to eat potato salad with apples, raisins or fruit in general. That being said, I will still eat it.

[@stephen902]

Homemade German style is slammin

[@michaelmarroquin1663]

I found kenjis videos with late night chorizo grilled cheese and I’ve been away from this channel for like two months, I come back and you got fancy new camera angles and the kitchen is actually set up now! Nothing but respect to you for your consistency in quality and your ability to constantly keep improving your videos. it’s the reason I always come back.

[@makotocortez]

I love, love, love your channel. You're so respectful and insightful, and I'm becoming a better cook 'cause your pov is my preferred learning style. -ur non-binary friend

[@jj3665]

Rough day, and this is such a pleasant comment upon which to stumble 🥰

[@jasonfitzpatrick2197]

I can’t remember who used the phrase “the skin of the potato is disproportionately nutritious” but I use it every time I’m poking holes in that factoid.

[@David95210]

Sounds like Alton Brown but he's usually right so hmm

[@TamarLitvot]

But according to what Kenji said, that’s true. The key is “disproportionate,” meaning that the percentage of nutrients in the skin is higher than the percentage of skin in the potato. Kenji’s point was that skin is such a tiny proportion of the potato that even if it has a disproportionate amount of the nutrients, it doesn’t really matter. So it’s not that the skin ISN’T “disproportionately nutritious,” it’s just that it doesn’t matter that it is.

[@civilizeddiva]

Can you imagine getting a text from one of your favorite chefs saying, “ Hey, come on over. Potato salad tonight!”😊

[@orifox1629]

I'm a real big fan of radish in my potato salad, especially fresh from the garden if you can get it. The snap of it and the bite of the flavour cuts into that fatty sweetness of the rest of the mixture and it sorta refreshes every bite. I love it so much

[@directorofwow]

My husband and I have made this probably 4-5 times now. We absolutely love it! It’s something we can make in a big batch and eat throughout the week. Thanks for all you do!

[@danielleanderson6371]

Potato salad is one of those things, like pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and chili, where everyone seems to have a version that they claim is the only true version, when in truth they're all wrong, because the best version is the one you make with the ingredients you love.

[@phishtrader7744]

Going to other peoples' family functions and eating their potato salad can be an eye-opening experience.

[@DizzyBusy]

Your comment is so wholesome, love it

[@trplankowner3323]

Kenji, thank you very much for this video! As a Southern boy, I love potato salad (it's sorta mandatory in these parts). Unfortunately, several years ago I developed a severe sensitivity to onions to the point that eating them could possibly lead to my death. As you can understand, it's extremely difficult to find potato salad that isn't made with onions. Compounding my difficulty, a few years ago I was left disabled by an auto collision and it is very difficult for me to stand for more than a few minutes (sometimes it is even difficult to sit upright in my desk chair). The timing of this video at the beginning of Summer has inspired me to attempt to make potato salad for myself and watching you make it should help me have the confidence to raise to the challenge (sorry for the pun).

[@stephanieyautzy7900]

How has it taken me this long to watch kenji's KZbin channel!! I bought the food lab like 5 years ago, one of my absolutely favorite cook books ever!! As a chemist who loves to cook I really appreciate the science approach to cooking. Super excited to watch more videos, well done!!!

[@mattsonplummer6117]

Thank you for your clear and concise explanations of how food cooks. Your videos are great!

[@jasonthegreat49103]

I was never a big fan of potato salad when I was younger, but I was tasked with making some for an office potluck a few years ago and while searching recipes online I ended up stumbling on yours off of Serious Eats. The in depth analysis you did convinced me to go with your recipe and man did it change my mind about potato salad. So freaking good! Many compliments were received by me, thank you!

[@DominicSear]

It took me THREE DAYS to make that potato salad... THREE DAYS!!

[@fsmith45]

To this day I can’t imagine what would take three days to do while making potato salad

[@mickeyBtsv]

I like to use whole grain mustard, Dijon mustard and Kewpie mayo... Rice wine vinegar on the just boiled potatoes and no added sugar... Oh and caramelizes the onions

[@evan9536]

Potato salad with fresh dill is life changing, you gotta try it!

[@aprillinton7889]

I have been making your potato salad recipe for years and my family requests it all the time. I’m kinda famous for it. It’s amazing. Thank you.

[@k1r10n]

And now I crave fingerling potato salad. Have to try this vinegar trick but with a Russian-style salad - with spring onions, dill, and sour cream.

[@Jilinhall]

You're such a cool dude Kenji. You give off such loving caring vibes! Your family is so lucky to have someone like you.

[@SamwiseOutdoors]

Watching Kenji's monitor while he's talking about potatoes absorbing vinegar is the secret to seeing Infinite Kenji.

[@troyd1389]

Thanks for teaching me so much about cooking Kenji!

[@MrsRoper2015]

My mom has been doing something similar for years. When we make potato salad we chop up the onions or chives any herbs that will go into it and toss that with the hot potatoes and the vinegar before letting it cool then we add the Mayo/mustard and any additional things that we want. The potatoes really absorb the vinegar but also the flavor from the onions, chives, herbs. That way the flavor isn't just in the sauce but also the potatoes.

[@bibom2012]

I thought my mom light up the gas stove with matches are dangerous, here kenji just straight up used a flamethrower

[@PossumMalone]

Love the level of education that you transmit in your videos

[@violetviolet888]

He used to work for Cook's Illustrated (Cooksllustrated.com of which America's Test Kitchen is a part of). kzbin.info. Cook's Illustrated is the best test kitchen in the United States. Then he worked for Serious Eats and you can find hundreds of his recipes there. The Food Lab | Serious Eats www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-5118015

[@mmarksz86]

I just made this exact recipe a month ago when I got hit by a random potato salad craving and the store-bought just didn't hit the spot. It came out amazing and definitely maintains a pleasant lightness and good acidity so it never feels heavy.

[@fenrisulfur666]

as a Europian the amount of sugar you put in there shocks me. Feels like the sallad is sweet.

[@sanaullah6911]

It's America - put sugar in EVERYTHING!

[@Geeksmithing]

Mustard + Sweet relish based potato salad is the BEST!

[@Lit_Matchstick]

This gave me a nice summer vibe! great stuff uncle Kenji

[@The8merp]

I love seeing all the little adjustments pro chefs make when cooking compared to home cooks. You can tell they are trained just by the discipline of their motion, not a single wasted movement. Also, love the little waste basket for scraps, I need to get me one.

[@artemiypolozhintsev6190]

Just made it, and its delicious! Thanks from Germany, Kenji!

[@irian42]

Oh potato salad with mayo - that kind of stuff could lead to wars in the wrong region of my country!

[@tommihommi1]

This is mashed potatoes with mayo, not potato salad

[@jessicabraud3307]

Oh wow. What do you put into potato salad in your country? I've only ever known the American version with mayo

[@FR-oz9px]

Yup, that’s how you start a war.

[@irian42]

@@jessicabraud3307 In Southern Germany potato salad is often made with broth, vinegar and mustard. Northern Germany is mayo country.

[@triforcewill]

@@tommihommi1 ah yes it’s not what your used to therefore it’s wrong

[@danielcraddock8192]

Whenever I make potato salad now, I always roast the potatoes first, let them cool and then mix them in. I love it

[@SOmibsProductions]

Kenji, you're the man. and I just love ya.

[@missborisjohnson]

Thanks for this, I made your serious eats recipe for potato salad recently and it was the best I've ever tasted! And I even added vinegar to the boiling potatoes!

[@ValensDsouza]

your crunch is always awesome haha

[@duke5886]

I just made this. Used shallots and garlic chives and Dijon cuz that's what I had. Great! I love the vinegar/sugar on the hot potatoes. Also added diced pickles and dried tarragon. Delish! Thank you Kenji.

[@Ignideus]

These videos are so comfy. Can't get enough!

[@SquibGourmand]

I felt validated when you dropped the potato at 0:25 because I always feel bad losing my grip when peeling anything

[@janadesforges5132]

AWESOME TIPS, love you!

[@xraxisxtremestream1511]

I was looking for a potato salad recipe done by you a few weeks ago! Thank you for making this! looks delicious

[@violetviolet888]

Any time you're looking for a recipe, start with SeriousEats.com. Kenji used to do recipe testing for them and is still an advisor for them.

[@wwoods66]

@@violetviolet888 www.seriouseats.com/the-food-lab-how-to-make-the-best-potato-salad-done-right "I just realized I used up 2,000 words to explain four sentences, and half of them were about dying potatoes green. What has my life come to?"

[@ogweez]

Man, I love your knife skills.

[@shawnjohnson9638]

This is fantastic!! I just made a batch and this is all I want to eat today!!

[@Allpall]

Just made this and it's the best potato salad I've ever had. I made some homemade mayo and added a bit of greek yogurt for extra creaminess. Also added some pickle relish and hard boiled eggs as suggested and it's *chef's kiss* :)

[@PiraticalJess]

Salute to you sir, for making potato salad without ten pounds of nasty hard-boiled eggs!

[@jennariggs9452]

Love that little container for the sugar, I need something similar to keep by the stove.

[@KillerCornMuffin]

Wow I have been SEVERELY under salting my water for potato salad.

[@garyheaton3302]

I would think adding sugar to the water would result in a dilute sugar solution. Most of it would be poured out when the potatoes are drained. Adding them to the drained potatoes ensures you control the amount actually in the salad.

[@cellobarney]

This might be the most controversial food in my extended family. Your version looks delicious! Nobody’s going to argue with me making Kenji’s version. Perfect timing, too, as this is our summer staple.

[@DucNguyen-bd5ir]

I agree with your friend. I don't put sugar in the potato salad. I also tend to make summer potato salad than potato salad normally for picnics because you don't have to worry about keeping chilled.

[@leslieharris9088]

I just made a combination of your Serious Eats and Julia Chil's potato salad yesterday. I add kalamata olives and shredded carrots, along with her suggestion of some dill pickle. I have to learn to mince smaller though. Followed your lead to add vinegar/salt/sugar to the water as potatoes cook. Now I know not to add any vinegar to the cooking water. Thanks.

[@BlueJazzBoyNZ]

Kenji The cooking tutor Jedi. Look to the smarts of the others he posts with... Spreading the cooking wealth to the world With Humor and no BS #Respect

[@chayes017]

Used this for a BBQ as I have never made it...and added shredded cheddar/and cut up a half pound of bacon and a diced jalapeno and I got so many compliments.

[@vargolino]

I'm sure that it's delicious, but to me, adding sugar to the potatoes was the weirdest bit of the recipe.

[@HardwareLust]

His recipe is pretty much my mom's (and my) recipe, minus the sugar. It would never even occur to me to add sugar to it, which is probably why I shun store-bought potato salads. I think her being from Germany might have influenced a lot of my cooking.

[@hazzapratt]

Yeah it's looks fine except for the random sugar

[@pritikinaa]

@@HardwareLust Store bought potato salad is the worst. That and Sysco potato salad. Hard pass.

[@theflyingcrud]

Yeah... that kind of made me nauseous. Sugar with potatoes is like something from the 1700s. Every other part of this recipe is totally fine. He even keeps adding sugar! To each their own, but good God dude please stop. Only time I've ever disagreed with Kenji on a recipe. An amazing chef and I respect his taste and opinion. I also live in the south where people do this all the time, but I honestly can't stand it. It's like the weird sweet coleslaw in some states down here, what the hell?? Tastes almost exactly like honeydew melon, if I wanted one I would have purchased one. Sorry for the rant haha Edit: this recipe is actually really good without the sugar, and already has some sweet flavor from the potatoes and red onions. Gave it a shot and it's delicious, just don't add the sugar if you don't want it and it's great!

[@grante8]

I come for the recipe, stay for the food science, and love the Kenji.

[@Random-ee7ms]

Potatoes an. easy food to be added in every dish potato salad is looking refreshing

[@indy1440]

made this for the Fourth to go with a pulled pork cook. So good and thanks Kenji.

[@kylespringer1328]

Hey Kenji, in your book, your recipe actually states to use vinegar and sugar in the boiling water (and to sprinkle vinegar again after cooking). I like how it comes out this way, since I prefer to avoid the mashed bits that you can get without changing the water's natural pH. Is this a conscious change in your preferences you have made over the years or did it just slip your mind for the video?

[@JD..........]

Thanks dawg, you're the man

[@UraniumFire]

I remember reading the vinegar technique long ago - in Fine Cooking or Saveur - but the sugar is new to me. Regarding pectin, my mom makes sauerkraut and potatoes, cooking the taters in with the sauerkraut, and they never soften. They're cooked through but oddly firm.

[@charthepirate]

this is reminding me that I need to sharpen my knives. so smooth.

[@scottcampbell1874]

Great vid I'm new to your channel I love the kitchen and the way you cook thanks for sharing

[@dtpugliese318]

Oh my god, I was just going to search for potato salad recipes but before I could, Kenji popped up with a potato salad video as if he knew

[@judiithingrahambrown8722]

I’m from New England and made this exact type of potato salad since I was a small child. The only difference is we never sprinkled sugar on the potatoes. If you use Hellmann’s mayonnaise you don’t need the sugar.

[@jochenliebig1562]

Very American potato salad. I much prefer German style potato salads, but whenever I make it American style, I follow Kenji's recipe.

[@David_Jr]

It's the grammar correction for me! *Chef's kiss gesture*

[@Nocco20]

Let’s goooo potato time 🥔. Love that sink btw.

[@HeatherPack]

Imagine ordering room service and you get food prepared by Kenji.

[@danielleanderson6371]

Would you ever do a video on vichyssoise? I made some last night to chill overnight, and when I tasted it this morning it reminded me a lot of liquefied potato salad, in a good way. More people need to know about chilled soups!

[@BreakDanceFight]

We all know that Kenji was looking at that garlic mayo on that spoon deciding if he could just stick it in his mouth on camera then just decided to jump cut to cover it up.

[@overtonesnteatime198]

I grew up with pickles in my potato salad, I won't have it any other way :P

[@aidans6257]

I guess you'd also have to use a ton of sugar and vinegar to get the same concentration if you put it straight in the cooking water... This looks great, gonna try the technique with my usual creme fraiche and baby potatoes combo

[@swedishbatman]

Where do I get that pepper grinder? I've searched near and far and I have yet to find a high quality pepper grinder. The one you used looks amazing

[@Semiotichazey]

I was thinking of adding vinegar to your roast potato recipe, and I was wondering when to add it. I think you cleared that up here. I was thinking of adding it to the water until I remembered that the recipe also calls for baking powder during the boil-I suspect the result would have been like a third-grade science fair exhibit.

[@simplyk8003]

yo Kenji I fucking love you my guy, you a whole mood

[@Leguminator]

Big yes to the vinegar on the hot potatoes, such a huge difference. I've never added sugar, I might try that this weekend. I like a good amount of dill pickles in mine, or bread & butter pickled jalapenos -- I guess that last one maybe is an indirect addition of sugar. I also like to roast red potatoes and use a chipotle mayo. My biggest gripe about American style potato salad is you often don't really taste potatoes, they just become mushy carriers for the glop. My mom overcooked the potatoes always and by the time you got around to eating the salad it looked like lumpy mashed potatoes. She also added Catalina dressing, which gave hers this off-putting hue of sloe gin vomit. (When you get sick from sloe gin you remember)

[@violetviolet888]

If you're adding bread and butter pickled anything, you're adding sugar. It's about balance. Like adding a pinch of salt to a batch of cookie batter. You don't taste the sugar, it just makes the flavor more complex. As is often the case in many Asian Cuisines. There is often a tiny bit of sugar in most savory entrees which results in better, more complex savory flavor.

[@harlanhavig204]

Thanks for the recipe. What type of head mounted camera and app were you using?

[@dickhertz7457]

The knife skills are the real deal

[@soymoder]

I love potato salad. All time great dish. I like adding dill to mine 👌