The Absolute Best Spuds To Use For A Classic Potato Salad

While there are countless ways to make delicious potato salad, every home chef strives to make the best variation possible. Whether you prefer a more traditional recipe that includes mayonnaise, mustard, and pickles or an herbed potato salad that calls for apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, the type of potatoes you select for your signature recipe make all the difference.

Luckily, Chowhound was able to get some solid advice on the subject from Reid Shilling, the executive chef and partner of Fancy Ranch Amish Fried Chicken and Shilling Canning Company in Washington D.C. Shilling says, "For our potato salad, and Fancy Ranch I'm trying to find something that's not too starchy and also not waxy. I like to use Yukon Gold potatoes; they basically fall in the middle of the starch content potato spectrum."

Among the different types of potatoes you can use for potato salad, Yukon Gold potatoes have a wide range of well-rounded characteristics that are often exclusive to more specific varieties like red potatoes or russet potatoes. For example, red potatoes, once cooked, stay somewhat firm and shapely, while russet potatoes are higher in starch and offer less structure in dishes like classic potato salad.

Yukon gold potatoes offer the best of both worlds and like red potatoes, have a thinner skin so you don't have to worry about peeling them before or after cooking. Shilling adds, "Also, the flesh is yellow, or a darker gold rather than white, which makes for a more visually appealing salad."

Now that you know Yukon Golds are a solid option for your next bowl of potato salad, it's important to follow certain guidelines when it comes to cooking and assembling your recipe. For starters, Reid Shilling suggests boiling your potatoes in salted water. As a matter of fact, the experienced chef recommends using "upwards of a kilo of salt for 20 quarts of water. It's a higher salt content than you think but you only have one shot at seasoning your potato."

The salt permeates each potato piece inside and out, which guarantees more substantial flavor throughout your recipe and not just on the surface from added spices. Whether you're boiling your potatoes whole or diced, to determine their level of doneness, Shilling states, "I use the tip of a knife or a thermometer, I want to feel it slide through with no resistance."

Once your potatoes become tender yet firm, they're ready to cool and become your best bowl of potato salad to date. Among the essential ingredients you should try in your next bowl of potato salad, bacon, green onions, and vinegar are top contenders. 

Shilling prefers vinegar because "it provides a lighter feel to the salad and gives it lift." Alternatively, for a more complex variation, prepare your own version of Shilling's Fancy Ranch potato salad with aji verde, a Peruvian sauce traditionally made with aji peppers from South America, parsley, cilantro, and green onion.