How Long To Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad

Easter. Seven years of Easter blogs. The first one, Earl was alive and the ham was in the oven at five a.m. and the house was loud. Now Earl is gone and the ham is still in the oven at five a.m. and the house is loud again — louder, maybe, because the family keeps growing. Three great-grandchildren now: Amara (three and a half, a force of nature), David Jr. (one, walking, grabbing), and Elijah (five months, round, smiling at everyone, the most agreeable Henderson in four generations).

Twenty people at the table. The plywood extension. The good plates. Earl's place set, same as always. The grace was short this year — I'm learning that the best graces are the shortest, because God already knows what I'm thankful for and the food is getting cold. "Lord, thank you. For all of it. Amen."

Amara ate a whole deviled egg this year. Both parts — the white and the filling. Last year she only ate the filling and declared the white "bad." This year she ate the whole thing and said, "Gah-gah, egg GOOD." I said, "I know, sugar. I told you." She said, "I had to decide myself." Three years old and she already has opinions about autonomy. She is her father's granddaughter. She is a Henderson.

After dinner, Thomas — the widower from the cooking class — called me. He said, "Miss Dot, I made your dressing. The one from the book. For Easter dinner. For my family." His voice broke. He said, "It's the first real meal I've made for people since my wife died." I said, "Thomas, it's not my dressing anymore. It's yours. And your wife would be proud." He said, "Thank you, Miss Dot." He hung up. I held the phone and I thought about the way food travels — from Mama to me to a class to a man who lost his wife to a table where people are being fed again. The chain doesn't break. It just gets longer.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Every Easter table I’ve ever set — all seven of them on this blog, and the thirty-some before I started writing any of it down — has had a bowl of potato salad sitting right next to the ham. It’s the dish nobody photographs and everybody finishes. With twenty people to feed this year, and Amara and David Jr. and little Elijah all in their chairs, I needed every bowl I could fill — and this one never lets me down. The secret is getting the boil right, because mushy potatoes make mushy salad, and mushy salad is an embarrassment to the whole table.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15–20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 pounds Yukon Gold or red potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more for the water
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, finely diced
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons finely diced red onion
Paprika, for garnish

Instructions

Cut evenly. Cube potatoes into uniform 1-inch pieces so they cook at the same rate. Leave the skins on for red potatoes or peel Yukon Golds, depending on your preference.
Start in cold water. Place cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add a generous pinch of salt. Starting cold keeps the outside from getting mushy before the center is done.
Bring to a boil, then simmer. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Boil for 12 to 15 minutes for cubed potatoes, testing with a fork at the 12-minute mark. The fork should slide in with just a little resistance — not crumbling, not hard.
Drain and cool. Drain immediately and spread the potatoes on a sheet pan or large plate. Let them cool to room temperature before dressing, about 15 minutes. Hot potatoes absorb too much dressing and turn greasy.
Make the dressing. Whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, apple cider vinegar, celery salt, and black pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
Combine. Add cooled potatoes, chopped eggs, celery, relish, and red onion to the bowl. Fold gently until everything is coated. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Chill and serve. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Dust the top with paprika before bringing it to the table. This can be made the night before — it only gets better.

Nutrition (per serving)

How Long To Boil Potatoes for Potato Salad — Because Every Easter Table Needs One More Bowl to Pass