Japanese Potato Salad (Potato Sarada)

⏱ 40 min · Serves 4

Creamy, lightly lumpy and gently tangy, this izakaya classic mashes fluffy potatoes with crunchy salted cucumber, sweet carrot and Kewpie mayo. It's comfort food with a sharp rice-vinegar edge — brilliant alongside karaage, in a sandwich, or straight from the bowl.

Per serving: 382 kcal · 10.5g protein · 32.0g carbs · 24.0g fat

Ingredients

• 600g floury potatoes (Maris Piper or russet), peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
• 1 tsp fine salt, for the cooking water
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 medium cucumber, very thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, for salting the cucumber and carrot
• 1 small carrot (about 70g), peeled and thinly sliced into half-moons
• 1/4 small onion, sliced paper-thin
• 2 slices good ham (about 50g), cut into 1cm squares (optional)
• 2 large eggs, hard-boiled and roughly chopped
• 5 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise (or 5 tbsp mayo + 1/2 tsp rice vinegar)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon or Japanese karashi mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced, to serve

Method

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of cold water with 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil and simmer 15-18 minutes until a knife slides through easily.
2. Meanwhile, toss the cucumber, carrot and onion with 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl and leave 10 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid firmly with your hands and set aside.
3. Drain the potatoes well and return to the dry pan over low heat for 30 seconds to steam off moisture.
4. Off the heat, mash roughly with a fork — leave plenty of lumps for texture. Immediately stir through the rice vinegar and sugar; the warm potato drinks it in. Season with pepper.
5. Let the potato cool to just warm (about 10 minutes), then fold in the squeezed vegetables, ham and chopped egg.
6. Stir in the Kewpie mayonnaise and mustard. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper or a splash more vinegar.
7. Chill for at least 20 minutes if you can, then scatter with spring onion and serve.