Mac Salad

When I was growing up we used to make a very similar mac salad but added frozen peas. If we wanted it to be really tangy we added pickle relish. Ono.

Why simmer the russet potatoes intact? Would the flavor be worse if you did what any practical person would do and peeled them, cut them into 1-inch chunks, and then simmered until tender? Or does simmering them whole mean that they are less likely to fall apart?

I don't think it's really necessary to cook the noodles "two minutes past al dente." They'll soak up a lot of mayonnaise and soften up over the course of a couple of hours in the fridge (and the salad tastes better if you let it sit in the fridge a while before serving). You may even need to add more mayo before serving if the salad's looking a little dry.

Growing up on Oahu, we kept our potato salad and mac salad separate. Mac salad (my mother's recipe--forgive her, she grew up on the Mainland) included chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped celery and green onion, tuna, a bit of sweet pickle relish, and the classic Best Foods REAL mayonnaise, but no carrots. I still make it this way 50 years later--and have been known to make a special trip to Costco for the mayonnaise (markets in Japan generally carry only Kewpie). And yes, I use an ice cream scoop.

@Nell, simmering intact reduces the break up of starch molecules on the surface of individual cubes, making the final salad less starchy. It’s a preference thing but is probably part of trying to perfectly replicate the texture the recipe author is going for. (If I’m making crispy potatoes, I want all of that starch, so will definitely boil in chunks before roasting.)

To each their own, but I grew up eating mainland mac salad prepared as you describe. I didn't like it. 20+ years in Hawai'i has me convinced that this mac salad is a different beast, and it does in fact need to be cooked past al dente to achieve the creamy, almost pudding-like texture that pairs so beautifully with kalbi ribs, chicken katsu with Japanese curry gravy or meat jun. I am so hungry now.

Best Foods Mayonnaise in the West is Hellmann’s Mayonnaise in the East. Same product.

Cooking the noodles past al dente, allows the starch granules that have "developed" to absorb the mayonnaise. No, with no meaningful moisture, the noodles/pasta won't absorb the mayonnaise. Which, incidentally, doesn't have much free moisture (as it's an emulsion). To see this, try making a potato salad or pasta salad without cooking the potatoes/pasta, and see if they "soak up the mayo." I agree though, that letting it season for a few hours makes a huge difference!

I never heard of taro and it sounds a bit scary. But I'm wondering about grating the eggs. Why do it that way, it's rather messy. Why not just finely cut them? Otherwise, this sounds like a tasty dish.

We’re experimenting with pasta here. Due to a temporary dental issue, soft food has become necessary. So, after overcooking the pasta to go with fresh pesto, it is wonderful and delicious because the pasta absorbs so much more flavor. So, I think that the direction to overcook the pasta is correct.

Potato tip: At the 13 minute mark, add a bit of salt and perhaps a couple of teaspoons of vinegar to the boiling water. This lowers the pH of the water and slows the breakdown of the natural pectin that holds the potato together. That gives the starch time to gelatinize and stabilize the potato structure. Potatoes fall apart because the pectin "lets go" before the starch has a chance to gelatinize.

This sounds delicious. My mother always did a weird Hawaiian thing with macaroni salad, cubed Spam. To this day, I'm 64 and from the Bronx, I still add it.

Simmering them whole decreases the amount of water they absorb and keeps the potato from falling apart.

When my sister and I shared a house there were 2 jars of Mayo in the fridge - she swears by Dukes, and I will brook no other than Hellman’s. This is a hill I’m willing to die on!

I too grew up on Oahu eating Mac salad and would suggest the following additions. I learned to (1) add seasoned rice wine vinegar to taste to the just cooked macaroni, (2) add some small hole grated onion, and especially (3) add as much as you like canned tuna, preferably not in oil. I make it often for family and pot lucks.