Japanese-style Potato Salad
Japanese mayo, crunchy cucumbers and onions set this salad apart from the American version.
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and halved
- 1 large carrot peeled
- ⅓ English cucumber peeled, halved, and de-seeded
- ¼ white onion thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 slices ham chopped
- ½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water, add potatoes and carrot and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes or until the potato punctures easily with a fork or chopstick. The carrot should be soft, but not falling apart. Drain well and set aside to let cool.
- While the potatoes and carrot are cooking, slice the cucumber into ⅛-inch slices and put into a small bowl. Add the thinly sliced onion into bowl with the cucumber. Sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out liquid from the cucumber and onion.
- Cut the boiled carrot into ¼-inch bite sized pieces.
- After 30 minutes, drain the cucumber and onion well. I have used paper towels or a cheese cloth to squeeze the excess water out.
- Once the potatoes are close to room temperature, return them to the large pot you boiled them in. Mash coarsely with a potato masher.
- Add in the carrot, cucumber, onion, and ham. Add the Japanese mayonnaise and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate until chilled.
Notes
This salad will keep in the refrigerator well for up to 3 days. I recommend consuming it sooner than later. The cucumber and onion will continue to release liquid resulting a soggy salad.