Japanese Potato Salad

One of my most favourite side dishes at a barbecue is potato salad.  And it can be made a zillion different ways.

My preference is for a mostly creamy, slightly chunky version.  But I think is mostly stems from my penchant for mashed potatoes - I could eat mashed potatoes and gravy every.single.day.

When I made the California Roll Burgers, I wanted to do something a little outside the normal.  And when I came across this potato salad, I figured it would be perfect match.

Check the glorious ingredients.    

That's the veggie and egg part, but let's talk about the other important part.  The seasoning.  I definitely recommend getting your hands on Japanese (Kewpie) mayonnaise.  It's actually fairly easy to find (I pick mine up in Superstore).

In a small bowl, combine the mayo, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar.  This is going to get stirred into the potatoes once they're cooked and mashed to your desired consistency.

You're going to laugh now.  Things happened and I kind of was busy and forgot and then magically there was cooked, mashed potatoes and diced carrots and corn being stirred into them.

The cucumber is sliced thinly and salted and the excess water gets squeezed out of them.  Then they too get stirred into the potatoes.

Although the salad is slightly tedious - it's actually REALLY delicious.  Creamy, sweet, tangy, the veggies give it a lightness and a freshness that's really perfect in the midst of a heatwave.

If you happen to have Japanese Mayo on hand because you've made, say, California Roll Burgers - or you've been ambitious enough to make your own sushi from scratch, I would say that this potato salad should definitely be on your list of must-makes.

PS-  I LOVED that this recipe included the weights of each item.  It did my obsessive brain a favor.


Japanese Potato Salad
2 medium russet potatoes (400g)
1/2 medium carrot (80g)
1/2 fresh corn kernels (60g)
4 inches Japanese cucumber, thinly sliced (80g)
1 large egg
100g Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra sale for cucumber and potato

1. Peel and cube carrot.
2. Remove the husk and silk from corn.  Cut the corn kernels from the cob.
3. Steam the carrot and corn until cooked through (about 8 to 10 minutes).  
4. Place cucumber in a bowl and sprinkle with salt to coat evenly.  Let sit for about 5 minutes, then squeeze as much excess water from the cucumber as possible.
5. Hard boil egg and cut into pieces.  I like to place eggs in cold water and bring the water to a rapid boil.  Continue to boil for 10 minutes, then place the pot under running cold water to cool the eggs.
6. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, and honey (and salt and pepper as desired). Whisk until smooth.
7. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces.  Put the potatoes into a medium sized pot and fill with water, about an inch above the potatoes.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain the water and mash until the potatoes have reached your desired consistency.  Keep in mind that they may break down further when mixing in the veggies and mayonnaise mixture.
8. Stir in the mayonnaise mixture.
9. Add in the carrots, cucumber, and the egg.  Stir to combine.  Add salt and pepper and additional mayonnaise as desired.
10. Transfer the potato mixture to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Source: Food 4 Tots