Chinese-Style Potato Salad (Tudou Si)

Peel the potato with a peeler. Cut away any green parts generously.

Slice the potato into 1-2 mm thick slices. Either glide the knife while checking the thickness with your fingertips, or use a mandoline.

Cut the sliced potato into julienne (si) as fine as possible, about ten times thinner than french fries, and place it in a bowl fitted with a strainer.

Soak the julienned potato in water. A lot of starch comes out at first, so change the water 2-3 times, then let it soak for about 10 minutes to draw out the starch and bitterness.

While the potato soaks, cut the cilantro. Chop the leaves roughly and the tips of the stems finely, then set them aside on a separate plate.

After 10 minutes, drain the potato. The starch and bitterness are gone and it is crisp. Drop it into boiling water and blanch over high heat for about 15 seconds.

As soon as it is blanched, transfer it to cold water and shock it thoroughly to keep the crisp texture.

Drain well. Using paper towels works even better. Put the drained potato in a bowl.

Make the sauce. Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan, add the grated garlic, and slowly draw out the aroma over low heat.

Add 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, followed by about 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Bring it to a light simmer to round off the sharpness of the vinegar and blend the flavors.

Add the sauce to the bowl of potato and mix well, then add the sesame oil and chili oil and toss again. Finally add all the cilantro and mix it in.

Plate it and finish by pouring over hot Sichuan pepper oil (Sichuan pepper) to release a sharp aroma.