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At every potluck and family reunion in the South there was a long table, and somewhere near the fried chicken there was a bowl of potato salad that everybody went to first. It was yellow, not white. It had mustard and mayonnaise both, chopped egg, sweet pickle, and paprika across the top. In most towns there were two or three cooks who were trusted to bring it, and everyone knew exactly who they were.
What those cooks knew was not a secret ingredient. It was timing. They boiled the potatoes whole in their skins, in properly salted water, peeled them while they were still almost too hot to hold, and put them straight into the dressing. A warm potato is thirsty, and it pulls the mustard, the pickle juice and the salt all the way to its center. On a cold potato the dressing only sits on the outside. The second rule is the refrigerator: four hours at least, overnight if you can. Made on Saturday, carried to the table on Sunday.
Why this Southern potato salad works
- Dressed warm. Potatoes absorb seasoning as they cool, so warm potatoes are flavored all the way through instead of just coated.
- Boiled in their skins, in salted water. The skins keep the potatoes from going waterlogged, and salted water is the only chance you get to season the inside of a potato.
- Mustard and mayonnaise together. Mayonnaise gives the creaminess, yellow mustard the color and tang, and a spoon of sweet pickle juice ties them together.
- A few broken potatoes on purpose. Gentle folding breaks some of the chunks, and those soft edges melt into the dressing and make it creamy.
Ingredients
Makes about 10 cups, enough for 10 to 12 as a side. US cups with grams in brackets. Plan on at least 4 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
For the potatoes and eggs
- 3 pounds potatoes (1.4kg), russets or Yukon Golds, medium and all about the same size
- 2 tablespoons salt for the cooking water
- 6 large eggs
For the dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise (230g)
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish (120g), plus 1 tablespoon of juice from the jar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ribs celery, chopped fine (about 3/4 cup, 90g)
- 1/2 small onion, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup, 40g)
- Paprika for the top
Russets give the softest, creamiest salad because they break a little as you fold. Yukon Golds hold their shape better. Either one is right.
How to make Southern potato salad
- Scrub the potatoes and put them whole, skins on, in a large pot. Cover with cold water by an inch and add the 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size, until a thin knife slides into the center of the largest potato with no resistance.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs. Cover them with cold water, bring to a full boil, then cover the pan, take it off the heat and leave it for 12 minutes. Cool the eggs in ice water, peel and chop them.
- In your largest bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, the tablespoon of pickle juice, the teaspoon of salt and the pepper until smooth and pale yellow.
- Drain the potatoes and let them stand for 5 to 10 minutes, just until you can hold one in a clean towel. Peel them warm; the skins slip off with the edge of a paring knife. Cut them into 3/4 inch chunks and drop them straight into the dressing.
- Fold the warm potatoes through the dressing with a large rubber spatula, turning from the bottom of the bowl. Be gentle. Some chunks will break at the edges, and that is what makes the salad creamy.
- Add the chopped eggs, celery and onion and fold again, only until evenly spread. Taste a piece of potato and add a pinch of salt if it needs it.
- Smooth the top and dust it with paprika. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.
- Taste once more before serving, because cold dulls salt. If the salad has tightened up, fold in a spoonful of mayonnaise and dust with fresh paprika.
Tips that make the difference
- Salt the water like you mean it. Potatoes that boil in plain water never taste seasoned afterward, no matter what you add to the bowl.
- Start the potatoes in cold water so the edges do not turn to mush before the centers are done.
- Chop the onion and celery very fine. They are there for a little crunch, not to be noticed as pieces.
- Use a wide bowl and a spatula. A spoon in a deep bowl mashes the potatoes at the bottom.
Variations
- More mustard. For a sharper, deeper yellow salad, use 3 tablespoons of mustard and cut the mayonnaise back by the same amount.
- Dill instead of sweet. Swap the sweet relish for chopped dill pickles and a spoon of their juice.
- Red potatoes, skins on. Small red potatoes can be boiled, cut and dressed without peeling, for a firmer salad.
- Pimento and celery seed. Add a 4 ounce jar of drained diced pimentos and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep the potato salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It is at its best on days one and two, before the celery starts to soften.
Do not freeze it. Mayonnaise separates and the potatoes turn grainy when they thaw. To work ahead, boil the eggs and chop the vegetables a day early.
At a picnic or a potluck, do not leave the bowl out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day.
Frequently asked questions
Why boil the potatoes whole and peel them afterward?
A peeled, cut potato soaks up water as it boils, and a waterlogged potato cannot take in dressing. Boiled whole, it stays dry and fluffy inside, the peel slips off while it is warm, and the cut surfaces are ready to absorb the mustard and pickle juice.
Which potatoes are best for Southern potato salad?
Russets are the classic choice because they break down slightly and make the salad creamy. Yukon Golds hold together better, and waxy red potatoes stay the firmest. All three work as long as you dress them warm.
Why is my potato salad watery the next day?
Usually the potatoes were overcooked or went into the bowl still wet. Drain them well and let them steam dry for a few minutes before peeling. Lift the relish from the jar with a fork and add the juice separately.
Can I make it the day before?
You should. The potatoes keep drawing in the dressing as they chill, so it is better the next day. Taste it again before serving, adjust the salt and refresh the paprika.
Mustard or no mustard will be argued about at potlucks for as long as there are potlucks. Dress the potatoes warm, give the bowl its night in the refrigerator, and yours will be the one that goes home empty.
Southern Potato Salad (Mustard, Eggs and Sweet Pickle, Dressed Warm)
The yellow potluck potato salad: potatoes boiled in their skins, dressed while still warm with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish and chopped eggs, then chilled overnight. Cups and grams, and the one rule that makes it.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds potatoes (1.4kg), russets or Yukon Golds, medium and all about the same size
- 2 tablespoons salt for the cooking water
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup sweet pickle relish (120g), plus 1 tablespoon of juice from the jar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 ribs celery, chopped fine
- 1/2 small onion, chopped fine
- Paprika for the top
Instructions
- Scrub the potatoes and put them whole, skins on, in a large pot. Cover with cold water by an inch and add the 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size, until a thin knife slides into the center of the largest potato with no resistance.
- Meanwhile, boil the eggs. Cover them with cold water, bring to a full boil, then cover the pan, take it off the heat and leave it for 12 minutes. Cool the eggs in ice water, peel and chop them.
- In your largest bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, the tablespoon of pickle juice, the teaspoon of salt and the pepper until smooth and pale yellow.
- Drain the potatoes and let them stand for 5 to 10 minutes, just until you can hold one in a clean towel. Peel them warm; the skins slip off with the edge of a paring knife. Cut them into 3/4 inch chunks and drop them straight into the dressing.
- Fold the warm potatoes through the dressing with a large rubber spatula, turning from the bottom of the bowl. Be gentle. Some chunks will break at the edges, and that is what makes the salad creamy.
- Add the chopped eggs, celery and onion and fold again, only until evenly spread. Taste a piece of potato and add a pinch of salt if it needs it.
- Smooth the top and dust it with paprika. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.
- Taste once more before serving, because cold dulls salt. If the salad has tightened up, fold in a spoonful of mayonnaise and dust with fresh paprika.
