Name: How To Make Japanese Potato Salad With Crispy Bacon At Home
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 400g Potato; 1 Small Cucumber; 75g Bacon; 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise; 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

How To Make Japanese Potato Salad With Crispy Bacon At Home-Japanese Taste

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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 Olivier 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!

While potato salad has become a staple dish, its preparation requires time as potatoes need 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'll make potato salad 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!

Instructions

1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather all of the ingredients together.

2) Peeling and Cutting the Potatoes

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Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into chunks. Add them to a pot of cold water, bring it to a boil, and cook the potatoes until they are tender. This should take about 20 minutes.

Expert's Tip

How To Make Japanese Potato Salad With Crispy Bacon At Home

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.

3) Preparing the Cucumbers

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While the potatoes are cooking, prep the cucumbers.

Using a mandolin slice the cucumber into a bowl (being very careful!) and then add a pinch of salt to the cucumbers. Mix well and let the cucumber sit for 10 minutes; 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.

4) Cooking the Bacon

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Cut the bacon into small pieces, then fry them until crispy in a small frying pan. The bacon will render a lot of fat, so there's no need to add any oil. Once the bacon is crispy, wipe away all of the excess grease using a paper towel.

5) Mashing the Potatoes

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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 pierces through easily, they are done. Drain them, and then add them to a mixing bowl and mash with a masher or fork.

6) Mixing in the Additional Ingredients and Seasonings

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When the potatoes are mashed to your liking, add in the seasonings, cucumbers, and bacon in that order. Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

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.