It’s famous to me at least, and my mates always ask me to bring some to a BBQ which is always a good sign.
There is little to like about summer as far as I’m concerned but one thing I do look forward to is new potatoes. If you’re lucky they’re sweet, soft and almost melt in the mouth. My absolute favourite way to eat these gems is drowned in good butter with plenty of rock salt and a splash of proper mint sauce, not homemade, it has to come out of a jar. It’s a side dish that reminds me of family dinners as a kid and was often served with fish fingers when it was too hot to mash anything.
I have tried to put as many measurements as I can in the recipe for my potato salad but like most my recipes it requires you being able to eyeball what’s appropriate. If you are serving for two for dinner, make more than you need and have it for lunch with some salmon or boiled eggs the next day, if you’re doing it for a crowd, you won’t be able to make enough, I promise.
You will need for two people
- Enough new potatoes for two – I dunno like…12 – 14?
- 4 cornichons
- 3 spring onions
- A decent handful of coriander
- 1 tsp of English mustard
- 2 big dollops of mayo (I use Hellman’s because I’m a snob but it doesn’t matter)
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Chop your potatoes into halves or thirds depending on their size, I like mine to be big enough to fill your gob without much room for anything else.
- Boil with plenty of salt until you can easily push a sharp knife through the potato
- Drain and place the potatoes into a bowl of cold water. As the water warms up, drain and add more water until your potatoes are cool then leave to air dry on the side.
- Whilst you’re faffing about with potatoes you can get started on your dressing.
- Finely chop the onions, coriander and cornichons and add to a bowl, add your mustard and then the potatoes
- Add the mayo at the end, add a dollop, stir carefully and then decide what how much of the second dollop you want. You don’t want all your hard work to be drowned in mayo.
- Keep tasting and add extra salt if you need it (I find the cornichons season it all wonderfully but a pinch of rock salt is a nice crunch) and a good twist of pepper.
- Now go forth and become the talk of the BBQ circuit and feel smug watching people eschew the horrible plastic boxed stuff someone bought, for your sweet, salty, creamy masterpiece.
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 