Nigella's Favourite Potato Salad

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Nigella

6 serving

4.7 3 ratings Review this recipe

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Serves: 6

“A tangy, mustardy, pickle-studded salad, made with steamed new potatoes, that goes with practically everything. If the trad mayo-bound potato salad is not your thing, I implore you to try this!”

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Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 kg salad potatoes
50ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
10 cocktail cornichons pickled in vinegar (approx. 50g), cut into ½ cm slices, plus 2 tsp liquid from the jar
3 tbsp nonpareilles capers (approx. 40g), plus 1 tsp liquid from the jar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp english mustard
1 tsp ground white pepper (though you can substitute black)
¼ (25g) bag dill, roughly chopped, some fronds left whole
¼ (25g) bag chives, finely chopped
1 (180g) pack smoked salmon with cracked black pepper and lemon wedges, optional
2 bags dolce romana lettuce, optional

Method

Step 1

Steam the potatoes for about 45 mins or until soft when pierced with a small fork. Tip the water away and sit the cooked potatoes over the still-hot pan beneath, without a lid on top of them, to dry out for 5-10 mins, though you can easily leave them there for longer.

Step 2

While the potatoes are steaming, get on with the dressing, which I make by pouring the rapeseed oil, the liquid from the jars of cornichons and capers, the vinegar and mustard into an empty, clean lidded jar and shaking together. Do whisk in a bowl, if you prefer.

Step 3

Get out a large mixing bowl and transfer the cooked potatoes to it, cutting them in half lengthways as you do so. Then grind white (or black) pepper very generously on top. Give your dressing a good final shake before you pour it over the potatoes and then toss gently and patiently to mix, and leave the potatoes for 10-15 mins, until just about warm but certainly not hot.

Step 4

Add the sliced cornichons and capers, plus most of the chopped dill and chives, and toss again, patiently but well. I’m a salt fiend but find the salt in the caper and cornichon liquid provides enough. Do add more vinegar, cornichon or caper liquid if you want more sharpness.

Step 5

Turn out into a serving dish and scatter the rest of your dill and chives on top. Delicious alongside a platter of smoked salmon and a crisp green salad.