Hello everyone!
I just got back from an obscenely relaxing holiday. If you are a Type A person who is always on the go and planning things, a little reminder for you that it is quite nice to be able to switch off and go on a holiday where no planning needs to be done at all. I was in the Piedmontese mountains, an area my family has visited since the 60s, with no access to trendy wine bars, or restaurants we had to book months in advance. I take lots of those kinds of trips, and whilst I love them, it can sometimes feel like an extension of the London scene, and that isn’t always very relaxing.
Instead, we walked, played cards, read our books and ate an ungodly amount of pasta. It was SO NOURISHING. If you are feeling a bit burnt out from fast-paced life, I could not recommend this type of holiday more.
Onto the content of the week. This maybe the most niche newsletter edition to date, but do you know what, it had to be done. I am British, and it is summer, and do you know what Brits always have in a summer spread? A potato salad! I took on the mantle of being Potato Salad Lady at barbecues many years ago, so I’ve been honing this skill for a while now, and I think I have it down.
In this week’s edition, you are going to get not one, not two, but THREE potato salad recipes. There is my classic potato salad for the free subscribers, as well as two jazzed up ones for the paid subscribers - an elotes potato salad, and also a pesto and green bean potato salad.
I’m also a lover of a potato salad where you peel the potatoes, and dress them simply in a mustardy vinaigrette and lots of finely diced red onions whilst they are still hot. Toss through parsley once cooled to room temp, and you have something fabulous on your hands (go on then, have a bonus 4th recipe).
Anyway, these potato salads cover all bases for your next barbecue - I’ll even tell you what to serve with them.
Enjoy!
Sophie x
The Recipes
A Classic Potato Salad
Just a classic potato salad! We aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but there are some important things to note. The key components in my mind for a potato salad are this:
Something creamy - mayonnaise is obviously the classic, but lightening it with creme fraiche, sour cream or even some yoghurt makes things a less claggy affair. I sometimes make the mayo if I can be bothered, but often times I cannot.
Something pickled - acidity can also come in the form of vinegar and lemon, but I love the pop of a pickle in there too. Cornichons are the GOAT, but a chunkier gherkin, caper or even pickled chilli is grand too.
An allium - the punch of something onion-y is important to offset the creaminess. I love the “green” flavour of a spring onion, but a finely diced shallot, white onion, red onion or some finely chopped garlic work in its place.
Herbage - a pop of green and freshness is welcome here. I season mine with parsley and dill normally, but chives are also great here, as is tarragon. I also pop it on a bed of rocket to make proceedings look less beige, but watercress also works in its place.
Goes best with: a classic British spread! Roast chicken (or even barbecued) and sausages are great here.
750g new potatoes
4 spring onions
2 sticks of celery (optional, for the haters)
90g cornichons
15g parsley
15g dill
150g mayonnaise
100g creme fraiche
1 heaped tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
60g rocket
salt and pepper
Bring a large pan of salted water up to a boil. Give your potatoes a wash and halve them lengthways, then add them to the water. Simmer for 15 minutes until tender, then leave to steam dry in a colander.
Finely slice your spring onions, and finely slice your celery and cornichons. Finely chop your herbs too.
Add all your chopped veg and herbs to a mixing bowl, and add the mayonnaise, creme fraiche, mustard and vinegar. Give it a mix, then season it generously with salt and pepper.
Once your potatoes have cooled to room temperature, mix them with your herby sauce.
Arrange your rocket on a platter, then top with your potato salad. Serve it up.
Elotes Potato Salad
I served this up at a lunch with my friends recently and they all bloody loved it. The kind of side dish that is more exciting than the main event. When we aren’t in corn season (as is the case now), then frozen corn on the cob is a great alternative to fresh.
Goes best with: any kind of taco spread, spiced grilled fish or chicken, or even slow cooked pork.