Cook's Illustrated Make-Ahead Potato Salad for a Crowd

AmyZoe's Note:

This is a very good potato salad from the folks at America's Test Kitchen. I must confess that I love dill pickles and prefer that flavor to sweet pickle relish. I wound up adding a couple dill pickles and some dill pickle juice to this recipe (just a personal preference) and quite a few more eggs. Here are the tips from Cook's Illustrated: If you only have celery salt available, use the same amount but omit the salt in the dressing. When testing potatoes for doneness taste a piece. If you overcook they will become mealy and break apart. The potatoes must be just warm or even fully cooled when you add the dressing. If you find the potato salad a little dry for your liking, add up to 2 tablespoons more mayonnaise. Serving size is estimated.

• Total Time: 50 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 22

• 5 lbs russet potatoes , peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 9 medium)
• 1 tablespoon table salt
• ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 celery ribs , medium and chopped fine (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup sweet pickle relish
• 1⁄3; cup red onion , minced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves , fresh and minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large hard-cooked eggs , peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes

Directions:

1. Place the potatoes in a large Dutch oven and cover by 1" of water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Add 1 tablespoon salt and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), about 8 minutes.
4. Drain the potatoes in a colander and transfer them to a large bowl.
5. Gently stir in vinegar and let stand until the potatoes are just warm, about 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, stir together 1 cup of the mayonnaise with the celery, pickle relish, onion, parsley, celery seed, dry mustard, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
7. Using rubber spatula, gently fold the mayonnaise mixture and eggs into the potatoes.
8. To Store: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
9. To Serve: Let the salad stand at room temperature about 1 hour. Gently fold in the remaining 1 cup mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. To Serve Right Away: Stir all of the mayonnaise into the potatoes in step 4, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.