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I used to hate making potato salad. That\u2019s because nine times out of 10, I\u2019d either overcook or undercook the potatoes. Once, when I first started cooking professionally, I staged in a kitchen and they tasked me with making potato salad<\/a>. Long story short, I undercooked the potatoes and then used them to make a huge amount of \u201ccrunchy\u201d potato salad. It didn\u2019t come as a surprise when I wasn\u2019t asked to return.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Kenji is well-known for his in-depth investigations into the science of how food works, and he delivers it in spades with this recipe. Early on, he takes a firm stance on how he feels about undercooked and overcooked potatoes. \u201cIf there\u2019s one thing I can\u2019t stand, it\u2019s al dente potatoes. Potatoes should not<\/em> be crunchy or firm. But nor do you want your potato salad to be cold mashed potatoes,\u201d writes Kenji.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n To remedy this, Kenji borrows a trick he picked up while developing his recipe for the perfect french fry<\/a>. Simply add a little vinegar to the potato\u2019s cooking water \u2014 one tablespoon of vinegar to one quart of cold water, to be exact.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Potato\u2019s starchy cells are bound by pectin, which acts as the glue that holds them together. As potatoes cook, their pectin starts to break down. Thus, the longer they\u2019re cooked, the more their pectin breaks down, causing potatoes to become mushy. With potato salad, where the desired goal is intact potatoes that are both tender and fluffy, this is the opposite of what you want.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Because acid significantly slows pectin\u2019s demise, adding some to the cooking water prevents overcooking while simultaneously seasoning the potatoes. You can use this technique whenever you\u2019re cooking diced potatoes that you want to keep intact for the end result (you won\u2019t notice a vinegar taste in the final product).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n While Kenji\u2019s potato salad recipe specifically calls for rice wine vinegar because it\u2019s his favorite all-purpose vinegar, I\u2019ve found that white distilled vinegar, white wine vinegar, and apple cider vinegar work well in a pinch. I\u2019d steer away from using dark-hued vinegars like balsamic, sherry, and red wine vinegar, as their stronger flavor will overpower the salad and turn it an unappealing color. As long as you use a vinegar you like, you\u2019ll be good to go.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read more<\/strong>: The 6 Most Common Types of Vinegar to Know<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhat Is the Perfect Potato Consistency?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The Science Behind Why It Works<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Types of Vinegar You Can Use<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n