How To Make Japanese Potato Salad With Crispy Bacon At Home
Are you familiar with Japanese potato salad? Japanese potato salad is different from other countries' potato salads as the potatoes are mashed and seasoned with Japanese mayonnaise. It often includes other ingredients such as cucumbers, but you can also add in any of your favorite toppings. Potato salad is one of Japan's most popular home-style dishes, and the ingredients vary from household to household.
Japanese potato salad is thought to have been inspired by the Russian or Oliver salad. In Japan, it is said to have been invented and developed at the Imperial Hotel in the Taisho era. Today, potato salad is a common side dish served at home, but during the Taisho era, it was served as a luxury dish in hotel restaurants.
Nowadays, potato salad is served in many restaurants including teishoku restaurants and izakayas. It is also a common add-on item in bento shops, so some Japanese people enjoy potato salad on a daily basis without even realizing it!
Although potato salad has become a standard menu item, it takes a bit of time to make, as the potatoes have to be peeled and boiled. When making potato salad at home, it is common to make it in a large quantity and enjoy it over the next few days.
Cucumber is the standard add-in in potato salad, but other common vegetables include carrots, corn, edamame, and more. You can also add a mashed boiled egg or other toppings like crispy bacon to make it more hearty.
In our recipe, we are going to make a potato salad recipe with crispy bacon. We are using ingredients that are easy to find and are inexpensive, so we hope you’ll try making our Japanese potato salad recipe at home!
Overview
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Total servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 400g Potato
- 1 Small Cucumber
- 75g Bacon
- 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
Expert's Tip
Kewpie mayonnaise and Japanese mayonnaise have become synonymous with one another overseas. Kewpie’s three main ingredients are egg yolks, vegetable oil, and vinegar, creating a rich, creamy, and perfectly balanced flavor. It can be used in various dishes such as salads, salad dressings, and as a topping. We use it in potato salad to give it that distinctive Japanese flavor.
Instructions
1) Gathering the Ingredients
Gather all of the ingredients together.
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2) Peeling and Cooking the Potatoes
Wash and peel the potatoes, and cut them into chunks. Add them into a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, and cook the potatoes until they are tender. It should take about 20 minutes.
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3) Preparing the Cucumbers
While the potatoes are cooking, work on prepping the cucumbers.
Using a mandolin, slice the cucumber into a bowl (being very careful!) and then add a pinch of salt to the cucumbers and mix well. Let the cucumber sit for 10 minutes, and during this time, the added salt will draw moisture out of the cucumbers. After 10 minutes, squeeze all of the excess water out of the cucumbers and discard.
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4) Cooking the Bacon
Cut the bacon into small pieces, and then fry until crispy in a small frying pan. The bacon will render a lot of fat, so no need to add any oil. Once the bacon is crispy, wipe away all of the excess grease using a paper towel.
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5) Mashing the Potatoes
By the time the cucumbers and bacon are done, the potatoes should be just about done as well. Check their doneness using a bamboo skewer or chopstick, and if the stick pieces through easily, they are done. Drain them, and then add them to a mixing bowl and mash with a masher or fork.
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6) Mixing in the Additional Ingredients and Seasonings
When the potatoes are mashed to your liking, add in the seasonings, cucumbers, and bacon in that order. Adjust the seasonings to your preference.
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7) Serving the Potato Salad
Once the potato salad is finished, it is recommended to consume it within 3 days. You can store it in the refrigerator in an air-tight container and eat it cold or at room temperature.
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