August 21, 2016

One Example of My Potato Salad/私のポテトサラダの一例

Here's just one example of my potato salad, which I made today as part of supper.
今日、夕飯に作ったポテトサラダのほんの一例です。

1,300 g new potatoes
新じゃが1,300 g
I cut them into manageable sizes
手頃な大きさに切って
separated them into two I-Wrap bags, and microwaved each bag for a total of 8-9 minutes until done.
2つのアイラップに分け、それぞれ、火が通るまで全部で8~9分電子レンジで加熱しました。

1 large carrot
大きなニンジン1本 

I peeled it, cut it into halves or quarters, and microwaved it for 2 minutes.
皮をむき、 半月か銀杏切りにして、電子レンジで2分加熱しました。 
Sadly, no cucumbers were left in the fridge, and I used this small amount of cabbage instead.
悲しいことに、冷蔵庫にはキュウリがなく、代わりにこれだけの量のキャベツを使いました。 
 

I added 1 tsp salt, rubbed, left for several minutes, and squeezed.
塩を小さじ1杯入れ、もみ、数分置いて、絞りました。

I often put canned corn in my potato salad. I used canned tuna this time. I can also use ham or fake crab meat (known as surimi in France and other countries).
私はポテトサラダにはよくコーン缶を入れます。今回は、ツナ缶を使いました。ハムやカニカマ(フランスなどでは、スリミと呼ばれる)を使うときもあります。
I have two microwave ovens (700 and 800 W) in the kitchen, by the way.
ところで、台所には電子レンジが二台あります(700Wと800W)。 
Very convenient, especially when I want to cook in a hurry.
特に急いで料理する時にはとても便利です。 
I added 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp vinegar to the potatoes while they were still hot.
じゃがいもがまだ熱いうちに砂糖を大さじ1杯とお酢を大さじ1杯入れました。 
I mashed the potatoes, and added the other ingredients.
じゃがいもを潰し、他の具材を入れました。
And, I mixed them well.
そして、よく混ぜました。 
I later added some pepper and 1/2 tsp salt.
後で胡椒を少しと塩を小さじ1/2(にぶんのいち)入れました。 

Hours later, when all the potatoes cooled down, I added the most important ingredient, mayonnaise! Kewpie mayonnaise, to be exact.
数時間後、じゃがいもが冷めてから、最も大事な具材を入れました。マヨネーズです!正確にはキューピーマヨネーズです。
I used to add 2/3 of the 450 g squeeze bottle to this amount of potatoes, but now, I add much less because of health concerns. Mayonnaise have 100 kcal per tablespoon (15 g).
以前は、この量のじゃがいもに450 gのボトルの2/3は入れていましたが、今では、健康上の理由で、かなり減らしています。マヨネーズは大さじ1杯(15 g)当たり100 kcalもあります。 

Here's some photos of a version with cucumbers, which I made several weeks ago, when we could get lots of cucumbers from relatives. I used four cucumbers for this salad.
次のはきゅうりを使ったタイプです。数週間前、まだ親戚からきゅうりを沢山もらえた頃に作ったものです。このサラダでは、4本使いました。
 
 
In summary,
1. my "kakushi aji" (lit. hidden flavors, secret ingredients) for potato salad are sugar and vinegar (about 1 tbsp each for 500 g potatoes).
2. I add cucumbers (previously rubbed with salt) when they can be available cheap or free. Otherwise, I replace them with cabbage.
3. I add a relatively small amount of mayonnaise. (I used to add twice as much.) I can add more vinegar and salt and leave out mayo altogether.
4. You must add mayonnaise after all other ingredients have cooled down. Otherwise, you may cause the mayo to be separated.
5. I personally like Kewpie Mayonnaise because it's an egg yolk only type. Ajinomoto's mayonnaise is a whole-egg type. I'm not implying that the former is superior to the latter. There are Japanese who prefer the latter type.
まとめると、
1. ポテトサラダに関しては、私の隠し味は砂糖とお酢(ジャガイモ500 gに対してそれぞれ約大さじ1杯)。
2. きゅうりが安くまたはタダで手に入る時は、きゅうりを(塩もみしてから)使い、それ以外は、キャベツで代用します。
3. 入れるマヨネーズの量は比較的少ないです(昔は2倍も入れていました)。お酢と塩を多くして、マヨネーズをまったく入れないこともあります。
4. マヨネーズを入れるのは他の具材が全て冷めてから。でないと、マヨネーズが分離します。
5. 個人的にはキューピーのマヨネーズが卵黄だけしか使っていないタイプなので好きです。味の素のマヨネーズは全卵タイプです。後者より前者が優れているわけではなく、後者を好む日本人もいます。

7 comments:

9895039531 seeandoh said...

The Salad must be real tasty. Again fresh carrots and other ingredients to make a colorful and filling Salad.

Hiroyuki said...

seeandoh:

Yes, I need corn for yellow, cucumbers for green, and carrot for red!

Korean Dramas said...

My mom made a Chinese style potato salad with barely any mayonnaise in it (well, maybe it's just her own style) She's a very health conscious former nurse, so she doesn't like using a lot of fats and oils in her cooking. I was expecting the potato salad to taste bland, but it was surprisingly good. I actually like her style now.

Hiroyuki said...

Korean Dramas: Chinese style potato sald with little mayonnaise? That sounds interesting!

Sissi said...

Thank you for this post! Very interesting, your salads... I also add some rice vinegar, but never sugar. I must try it.
I have never tested cabbage either. I always have cucumber in the fridge (it's practically zero calories and I like it a lot, so it's 365 days a year in my fridge), so I never had to replace it, but I'll try cabbage out of curiosity.
I know you don't like light mayonnaise, but I find Japanese "hafu" Kewpie better than any standard European mayonnaise, so I use it instead. Luckily I've recently discovered an internet shop which sells it! (I used to bring the light Kewpie from Japan.... eight bottles in my luggage).
I always add eggs to my potato salad (I'm crazy for eggs). And always lots of black ground pepper. And red onion too.

Sissi said...

I've forgotten to say I find it very interesting that in Japan many people cook in the microwave.
I've also seen it often on 3分クッキング. I always use my microwave to reheat or sometimes defrost.... I must use it more often to cook quicker too!

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: I learned adding vinegar and sugar as "kakushi aji" (hidden flavors) from my wife long time ago.
As for cabbage, I first thought of using it when I found that I had no cucumbers in the fridge just when I wanted to make potato salad. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say!
Besides, cucumbers can hit 50 yen each here in Japan! (Can you believe it?)

In my eGullet years, I learned from other members that adding canned corn to salad was not "American", but I always temped to add canned corn for its color. Well, I know boiled eggs are also a good option, but I'd hate the additional work...

I like cooking with a microwave! As I mentioned in the post, I have two microwaves in the kithen. I don't feel the necessity for a big oven but I definitely need a microwave (and a tiny toaster oven) in the kitchen. I think that most Japanese feel the same way.