Ina Garten Avoids Super-Mushy Potato Salad With This Cooking Method

Ina Garten doesn't like eating leftovers. We assume that whenever she cooks for her family or guests, she makes sure everything is perfectly satisfying, so that they finish it all in one sitting. When it comes to the classic backyard staples during cookouts, she also has a way to make sure everyone's going to enjoy them until the very last bite. One good example is her potato salad. The celebrity cook, famously known for her show "The Barefoot Contessa," doesn't follow the usual method of cooking this dish, which often causes the potatoes to turn to mush. Instead, Garten uses a clever two-step method so the potatoes are the perfect texture.

The first step is parboiling, which simply means partially cooking the whole potatoes in salted boiling water before removing them while still firm. The second step is steaming. This finishes off the cooking process, so the potatoes end up evenly soft without breaking down or turning mushy. By steaming after parboiling, the potatoes retain their shape, but they are now soft all the way through. This makes it easy to chop them into the perfect bite-sized pieces. In other words, Garten's method guarantees a delectable bite in every forkful, since the potatoes don't get soggy or grainy when mixed in with the other ingredients.

While the parboil-and-steam method ensures the potatoes have the best texture for the salad, Ina Garten uses a few other techniques to take her potato salad recipe to the next level. One of her secrets is dressing the potatoes while they are still warm. This technique makes it easier for the potatoes to absorb the dressing, ensuring that each piece is infused with all the flavor from the seasoned mayonnaise. 

Another hack she employs is letting the potato salad sit for a few hours before serving. This resting period allows all the flavors to meld and develop, resulting in a potato salad that is deep and flavorful. By the time it's ready to serve, the potatoes have fully absorbed the tangy dressing. Though not specified, we assume she lets it sit inside the refrigerator to cool the salad and prevent bacterial growth, which can happen if it's left on the counter for more than two hours.

Finally, it's important to note Garten's secret for a creamy and delicious potato salad. The cookbook author adds buttermilk to her mayonnaise-based dressing because it acts as an emulsifier, allowing the ingredients to incorporate the fatty and oily mayo dressing better. By thinning out the mayonnaise, the dressing won't be too overwhelming to the palate.