Martha Stewart Just Taught Me Her Trick for Making Potato Salad 100x More Flavorful

Here are two indisputable facts: A potluck is not complete without potato salad, and Martha Stewart is the absolute queen of all things food, hosting, and entertaining. So when Martha Stewart weighs in on the makings of potato salad, we’re all ears. In a recent Instagram post, she shared her tried-and-true family recipe — and one technique used for it really took us by surprise.

Martha’s potato salad recipe starts out just like you’d expect: by cooking potatoes. But once the potatoes are steamed, peeled, and sliced, she does something we don’t typically see: She tosses them (or, as she says, “slosh[es] it”) with a mixture of salt, sugar, finely grated onions, and a good amount of vinegar (1/2 cup!) while they’re still warm. 

After about 10 minutes, she pours the potato mixture into a bowl of mayonnaise, then gently transfers the potato-mayo mixture from one bowl to the other a couple of times until it’s combined. No mixing with a spoon! (In the video she is not seen including buttermilk and cornichon, but both ingredients are called for in the official recipe.) 

Adding vinegar to the warm spuds gives them a tangy flavor you can’t achieve any other way. Our own potato salad recipe calls for sprinkling a tablespoon of vinegar over still-warm potatoes before dressing them, but Martha takes it to a whole new level by letting the potatoes soak in a hefty 1/2 cup. In one of the official reviews on marthastewart.com, one person claimed Martha’s vinegar-forward version is “more refreshing and moister” than other mayo-based potato salads. 

How were we today-years-old when we discovered this handy trick? One thing is for sure: We’re excited to give her method a try. And if the comment section on Instagram is any indicator, others are intrigued too (if they don’t already love it). “I must make it!” wrote one home cook. “I’ve made this many, many times; it’s excellent,” said another.

On the other hand, some people weren’t a fan of the super-simple recipe. Many offered up their own recipes, which included all different types of ingredients, from chopped pickles to red pepper to hard-boiled eggs. One commenter hit the nail on the head, writing, “I believe there are as many potato salad recipes as there are cooks.” 

No matter what your favorite potato salad recipe is, Martha’s trick is one worth trying out for yourself. Who knows? You might even come up with a recipe all your own.

Get the recipe: Martha Stewart’s Potato Salad 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Martha Stewart Just Taught Me Her Trick for Making Potato Salad 100x More Flavorful