Potato salad is usually served cold, until I chanced upon a warm version at a popular oden restaurant in Singapore.
I liked it so much, it stayed in my memory for a long time. When oden became the star of one of our family dinners, I decided to recreate it.
The potatoes are simmered in dashi, then mashed till creamy and smooth. Tossed with smoky pickled daikon (iburigakko いぶりがっこ) and crispy bacon, the salad turns out rich and savoury.
Adding karashi からし gives it a touch of kick. This hot, spicy Japanese mustard, made from crushed brown mustard seeds and horseradish, is a must-have condiment for oden.
In my opinion, this is a grown up twist on potato salad, and my own take on the unforgettable potato salad I tried. You are free to adjust the quantity of ingredients to adjust the serving or to suit your own palate.
Smoky Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes see notes
- 4 dashi packs
- 1 litre water
- 60 g smoked pickled daikon iburigakko いぶりがっこ
- 5 slices streaky bacon
- 150 g Kewpie mayonnaise
- 4 tbsp karashi Japanese mustard からし
- bonito flakes optional
Instructions
Preparing the smoked daikon and bacon
- Slice, julienne, and finely chop the daikon into small bits. Set aside.
- Cut the bacon into small bits and pan-sear till crispy. Drain the oil with kitchen paper. Set aside.
Preparing the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into small chunks, approximately 2.5cm x 2.5cm.
- Boil in a pot of dashi for approximately 15 minutes.
- Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre of a chunk. If it goes through cleanly, the potatoes are ready.
- Turn off the heat and leave the potatoes submerged in the dashi for at least 30 minutes to soak up the flavour.
- Remove from the dashi and mash while still warm.
Assembling
- Place the mashed potato, smoked pickled daikon, bacon, and Kewpie mayonnaise and 6 tbsp of dashi into a large mixing bowl.
- Mix until well combined.
- Mix 2 tbsp karashi with 4 tbsp dashi to make a sauce. Drizzle it over the salad and top with bonito flakes.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are recommended for this recipe. Their high starch content makes them ideal for mashing, resulting in a light and fluffy texture that holds the salad together beautifully. Waxy potatoes, such as new potatoes, tend to hold their shape when cooked, and are better suited for salads where you want distinct chunks rather than a creamy mash.
- Smoked pickled daikon: Smoked pickled daikon, or iburigakko いぶりがっこ, comes from Akita Prefecture. It isn't easy to find in Japanese grocery stores outside Japan, so I'd suggest searching "iburigakko" online to see if it's available where you are. I've found it in a few online stores in Singapore, though it costs around SGD20 and up. It works out much cheaper to buy in Japan itself, where you'll find it in local markets such as Tsukiji outer market in Tokyo or Kizu market in Osaka. Look for stores selling tsukemono, traditional Japanese pickled vegetables.
- Why simmer in dashi: Potatoes are one of the ingredients in oden, so they'd normally be simmered in the oden broth itself. If you're making the potato salad on its own, without the oden, simmering the potatoes in dashi still gives them extra depth of flavour, and pairs well with the smoked daikon and bacon.
- Choice of mustard: I’d recommend karashi からし, a spicy Japanese mustard that pairs especially well with oden. It helps cut through the richness and adds a nice kick. If karashi isn’t available, wasabi is a good alternative. American mustard, English mustard, or Dijon mustard work too, although they tend to be more tangy than sharp and spicy. But if that’s what you have on hand, go ahead and use it. There’s no need to make an extra trip to the store.
