Potato salad. One of my favourite Summer sides. Creamy, potato-y and downright moreish.
This is Fork and Twist’s recipe for the, in our opinion, Ultimate version! It’s super creamy but not too heavy, it’s got some tang which is balanced with some sweetness and it has bacon. Everything tastes just the little bit better with bacon. Unless you’re veggie or vegan, then it definitely doesn’t.. DOn’t worry, we have options for you guys too.
We’re hoping you love this recipe as much as we do, and it becomes a summer staple in your household.
What's the Best Potato for a Potato Salad?
The first rule of choosing potatoes for a potato salad is to make sure they’re waxy. Waxy potatoes will retain their shape better, and make for more pleasant eating. We’re not looking for fluffy potatoes here.
The second rule, in our opinion, is to opt for smaller potatoes. A potato salad is usually consumed in the summer as a cold side to whoever the main dish is. In the summer, baby potatoes are in season, and here in the UK the Jersey Royals are some of the best you can buy. If a small potato is not an option, then stick to a waxy variety and cut them up into bit sized pieces before boiling.
So, in essence, the best potatoes are waxy, in season and ideally small.
How do you make potato salad?
There are a million different ways to make a potato salad, it all depends on who you ask. It’s really personal preference.
First off you need potatoes. The type of potato depends on where you’re based in the world and what time of year it is. In the UK, in summer, baby potatoes, especially Jersey Royals are to best to use. However, any small waxy potato can be used as it holds its shape better.
The base of a potato salad can be made using a mayo, or yoghurt, or sour cream, a mixture of mayo and sour cream, a mixture of mayo and yoghurt, a vinaigrette and probably others I haven’t mentioned yet. There’s loads.
To this creamy base, often some sort of acidity would be introduced to balance the creaminess. For example a little teaspoon of malt vinegar, or white wine vinegar. Or perhaps a dash of lemon juice. In some case mustard is added as the acidity provider.
The above is just the start and if balanced right, with a touch of salt, it can be great. But from here you can go wild with herbs, vegetables and even meat. Some examples are; onions, parsley, chives, bacon, peppers. Really anything you think fits.
What Ingredients are in Potato Salad?
As said before, this differs between lots of different countries, regions, and people. For our ultimate potato salad we have included the following ingredients:
- Baby Jersey Royal Potatoes
- Full Fat Mayo (To make it really indulgent use our Homemade Mayo Recipe)
- Wholegrain Mustard
- Yuzu Juice (Yuzu is an East Asian citrus fruit. Substitute with lime/lemon)
- Wholegrain mustard
- Honey
- Crispy Bacon
- Spring Onion
- Parsley
- Onion Powder
- Garlic Powder
You can really add whatever you like to the potato salad, but the Mayo, Mustard, Yuzu and Honey is what makes the creamy base what it is. The onion and garlic powder give it a little hum, but feel free to omit or substitute for fresh garlic as an example.
Ultimate Potato Salad Video Tutorial
Ultimate Potato Salad Recipe Card
Ultimate Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp Full Fat Mayo our homemade Mayo recipe is the best option!
- 2 tsp Yuzu Juice lemon / lime will work too
- 1 tsp Honey
- 1 tsp Wholegrain Mustard
- 1/2 tsp English Mustard
- 1 Small handful Curly leaf parsely, finely chopped
- 2 Spring Onion, finely sliced
- 4 Streaky Bacon Rashers
- 1 kg Jersey Royal Potatoes any small baby potato will work
- 1 tsp Onion Powder / Granules
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
Instructions
Potatoes
- Get a large saucepan 2/3 full of water on a high heat and add a tsp of salt.
- Wash the potatoes and check for any bad bits. Cut these bad bits out.
- Add the potatoes to the boiling waterNote - as the cold potatoes go into the water it will bring the heat of the water down from boiling. Top Tip - be careful of the hot water and gently place the potatoes into the water.
- Bring the water back to the boil and cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes or until a fork easily slides into the potato.
- Drain the potaotes in a colander and leave to steam dry for about 5 mintues.
- Once cooled a little, slice each potato in half or thirds depending on the size you want. Reserve the potatoes to one side.
The Bacon
- Place 6 rashers of bacon onto a foil lined baking tray.
- Place until the grill (broiler) on a medium high heat and cook the bacon until the fat is golden and crisp, turning once half way through.
- Drain on kitchen paper and slice into small strips.
The Dressing
- In a large mixing bowl add Mayo, Yuzu, Mustard, onion powder, garlic powder and Honey plus a large pinch of salt. Mix together well.
- Remove the root from the spring onion and remove the first outer layer. Slice the spring onion into small discs.
- Finely slice the parsely.
Bringing it all together
- Add the potatoes to the bowl with the dressing sauce. Toss together well.
- Add the bacon, spring onion and Parsley.
- Mix together well.
- Serve as is, or place in the firdge until needed.
Notes
- The cooking of the potatoes is everything. They need to be soft but not too soft. They need to be somewhat firm to keep their shape, but not too firm. It's a fine balance. Keep an eye on the cooking time and keep testing with a fork until the potatoes are tender enough.
- The dressing amounts should be spot on. But taste and check for yourself when making. Add more salt if needed, or add half the salt and check first. It's all personal preference.
- Cooking the bacon until crisp is essential. It adds brilliant flavour and great texture. The grill is the easiest way to do this. When the fat is golden, it's done. When it cools it will crisp up even more.
