Tearing Your Potatoes by Hand Is Fun and Makes Them Even Better

In-laws, exes, little bits of lint . . . the list goes on. But when it comes to creamy, garlicky salad dressing heaped over fluffy potatoes in a to-die-for side dish, I want there to be maximum cling factor.

Just how do you achieve that, though? It’s all in the crag. Cragginess, that is. 

Dimples, potholes, peaks, and valleys—any irregularities on the surface of your potatoes will allow . . . what was it again? Maximum cling factor for your delicious dressings when it comes time to serve them.

And the very best way to imbue your potatoes with these perfect imperfections is to ditch the precision tools and go with your bare hands. That is to say, you should tear those taters rather than chop them.

You’re going to want to allow them to cool after boiling them, of course, so that they’re comfortable and safe to handle, as we do in our recipe for Torn Potato Salad with Toasted Garlic and Herb Dressing. 

Once you’ve torn your potatoes, they’ll keep every bit of creamy, herbaceous dressing hanging on, resulting in—yep, you guessed it. Maximum cling factor.