I make potato salad all year round, depending on what potatoes are in season. You need firm waxy varieties that don’t disintegrate when cooked such as baby new potatoes, Anya, Ratte, Pink Fir Apple or Charlotte. I sometimes make potato salad with a mayonnaise and whole grain mustard dressing with finely chopped chives or spring onions but this one is made with an oil and vinegar dressing so it’s perfect when the weather is warm or you’re serving it at a party and you don’t want it to split as a mayo based one can sometimes do.

You will need…

• Pack of potatoes 750g for a generous serving for 6-8 people, add more depending on how many people you are catering for.
• 2 banana shallots (the long ones as opposed to the round ones) per 750g of potatoes, raw, finely chopped.
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped flat leaf parsley per 750g of potatoes
• Dressing: 1/2 teaspoon of Maldon salt, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 dessertspoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp balsamic and 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar, 90 ml extra virgin olive oil, 10 turns of freshly milled black pepper

To make…

• Wash and steam the potatoes.
• Meanwhile, mix up the dressing. Make a paste with the garlic and salt, add the mustard, pepper, salt, vinegar and oil. Whisk together thoroughly. Stir in the raw, chopped shallots.
• When the potatoes are cooked, allow to cool slightly and cut into bite-sized chunks. I like to slip off the skins at this point but you can leave them on if you prefer. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and toss them in the dressing while the potatoes are slightly warm.
• Stir in the parsley just before serving at room temperature. Store ahead in a cool place but don’t refrigerate it as it will impair the flavour.
• Optional variation: fry some chopped streaky bacon or pancetta until crisp and stir into the potato salad.

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