Creamy Izakaya-Style Potato Salad
This is not your ordinary potato salad - the Japanese version features a silky, half-mashed texture studded with cool cucumber, sweet carrot, and bits of savory ham, all bound together with Kewpie mayonnaise and a whisper of rice vinegar. A beloved side dish at every izakaya and Japanese home table, it is addictively creamy and subtly tangy.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
+ 8 more ingredients
Instructions
Place the potato chunks in a pot of cold salted water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly.
While the potatoes cook, sprinkle the cucumber and onion slices with a generous pinch of salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible by hand - this step prevents watery potato salad.
Blanch the carrot slices in boiling water for 2 minutes until just tender but still with a slight bite. Drain and cool.
Transfer the hot, drained potatoes to a large bowl. Splash with the rice vinegar and sugar while still hot so the potatoes absorb the seasoning. Mash roughly with a fork, leaving about one-third of the potato in chunky pieces for texture.
Let the potato mixture cool to room temperature. Once cooled, fold in the Kewpie mayonnaise, white pepper, squeezed cucumber, onion, carrot slices, ham pieces, and chopped egg. Mix gently until just combined.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt or mayo as needed. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld. Serve chilled, garnished with parsley or chives.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI