Vinegar provides acidity that keeps starchy potatoes from tasting heavy, under-seasoned, and underwhelming. Distilled white vinegar is presented as a universal option because it has a neutral flavor and a strong tang that elevates other ingredients and balances mayonnaise. Adding vinegar and sugar to the boiling water helps acid and sweetness penetrate the potatoes during cooking, creating more depth before assembly. For extra tang, vinegar can be drizzled over potatoes immediately after boiling, then tossed in a strainer so the acid absorbs as they cool. Other vinegars can be used based on the potato salad’s flavor profile, such as champagne vinegar for French-style salad or rice wine vinegar for Japanese-style salad.
"Vinegar is the perfect antidote for this. It's an essential, yet underrated, ingredient for potato salads, as without a splash of acid, starchy potatoes can feel heavy, under-seasoned, and underwhelming. For the average eater and cook, apple cider vinegar is a solid choice as it's mild and sweet. However, I feel plain old distilled white vinegar is the best universal vinegar for any type of potato salad you could dream of."
"Distilled white vinegar is usually found in most people's pantries, and its neutral flavor and strong tangy punch make it perfect for elevating other flavors and balancing heavy ingredients, especially in salads that include mayonnaise. To take it a step further, add a bit of vinegar and sugar to the water you boil your chopped potatoes in to help the acid and sweetness penetrate through the starchy potatoes as they cook. This lends more depth of flavor before you even begin to assemble your potato salad."
"Additionally, if you like things really tangy, you could also drizzle a couple of tablespoons of vinegar all over your potatoes as soon as they come out of the boiling water. Then give them a toss in the strainer to really let the extra acid absorb into the cooked potatoes as they cool. Distilled white vinegar is ideal because it doesn't come with added sweetness that apple cider vinegar does, which can sometimes be off-putting in a savory salad."
"That being said, as someone who is a massive fan of acid in cooking and has no less than seven vinegars in my pantry, I encourage you to use whatever type of vinegar you have on hand that best complements the flavor profile of your potato salad. For example, use champagne vinegar in a French potato salad or rice wine vinegar in a Japanese pot."
Read at Tasting Table
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]