Cold Potato Salad

This is a German-style potato salad with no mayonnaise in sight. The creaminess comes entirely from the reserved potato cooking water. That starchy liquid, poured hot over the diced potatoes and onion, breaks down the surface of the potatoes just enough to create a naturally thick, silky coating.

The two-to-three-hour rest at room temperature is the step that makes this work. During that time the potatoes absorb the starchy water, the onion softens, and everything melds into a cohesive salad. Rushing this rest gives you dressed potatoes. Waiting gives you potato salad.

Vinegar, mustard, sugar, and dill seed go in after the rest, not before. Adding acid too early toughens the potato surface and prevents it from absorbing the starchy water properly.

Kitchen Tips

• Reserve the potato water before draining. It’s easy to forget and pour it all down the sink. Set a bowl under the colander as a safety net.
• Dice the potatoes while still warm. Warm potatoes absorb liquid much better than cold ones.
• Serve at room temperature, not chilled. Cold dulls the vinegar and mustard flavors. If you refrigerate leftovers, pull them out 30 minutes before eating.

Variations

• Bacon dressing: Fry chopped bacon until crisp and use the rendered fat in place of the oil for a smokier, richer German potato salad.
• Fresh herb version: Add chopped fresh dill or parsley along with the dill seed for a greener, more herbaceous salad.