Tickling potatoes to make my Potato, Red Onion & Egg Salad with Dill Vinaigrette
A simple dinner party salad fit for the social season
Happy December all! I am a bit early for a newsletter, but being the festive season I know recipes suitable for dinner parties are always welcomed, and I wanted to share this quick and simple Potato, Red Onion and Egg Salad with Dill Vinaigrette recipe with you. If you have potatoes growing in your garden, and you have noticed they have begun to flower, this is a sign that you can have a cheeky feel underneath your plants and "tickle" out some new season spuds to sample. This is simply a matter of carefully feeling around deep in the ground under where the foliage is growing, and although it may feel a bit intrusive, as long as you are careful to only break off the larger potatoes you want to harvest - and just remove a couple from each plant - the remaining potatoes will continue to grow on unaffected.
Note - not all potato varieties flower, so if you are growing a type that doesn’t, you can still feel around as long as the plants have been growing for at least 2-3 months…
One of the best ways to eat these freshly picked beauties is to simply boil them in salted water and eat as is, maybe with a knob of butter and a twist of ground black pepper. The second best way is to use them in a good salad. Unlike mayonnaise-laden potato salads that can leave you feeling weighed down, the recipe I share today was created with lightness in mind, and contains a generous amount of red onion, egg and fresh dill to lift any heaviness brought on by the potatoes, as well as a French inspired dressing.
Potato, Red Onion & Egg Salad with Dill Vinaigrette
You don't have to use new potatoes here but I like to, and my favourite variety to use is Nadine as they hold their shape well once cooked and won't mush up when you mix the salad together. Making sure you don't overcook the potatoes will prevent this too, so keep an eye on them as they boil. Very fresh potatoes won't have formed proper skins yet so may not need peeling, however if you are using older or bought potatoes, definitely don't skip the potato peeling step; you want a nice silky salad without unpalatable bits of skin through it.
If you can, it is best to make this recipe the same day you want to eat it, as the flavour of potato salad can become dull on refrigeration. However, if you absolutely must make it in advance, mix the dressing up separately and add it to the potato and egg mix just before serving, ensuring the salad has come back to room temperature first.
It is worth tracking down fresh dill for this recipe - with any luck you might have some growing in your garden right now, but if you can’t source any, feel free to experiment with any soft herbs you have on hand – chives or flat leaf parsley would each make lovely variations, as would mint or even basil.
Ingredients
3 - 4 medium sized new or maincrop potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes (3 cups once cubed)
4 free range eggs
1 large red onion or 2 small red onions
2 tablespoons good quality white wine vinegar
1 heaped teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 teaspoon runny honey
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped capers
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ packed cup finely chopped dill leaves
Black pepper
Method
Place a large pot of salted water on to boil. Once boiling, add the peeled and cubed potatoes. Cover, bring back to the boil as quickly as possible, then uncover and boil for 4-5 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Be sure not to overcook the potatoes or they may break up too much as you stir them through the salad later.
Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a colander to cool, then carefully place the eggs into the boiling water and cook until hard boiled (about 12 minutes). Cool, remove the shells and cut each egg into cubes. Set aside.
Skin the onion, cut it in half from bottom to top then cut in half again the same way. Now thinly slice the opposite way so you are left with half-moon slices of onion.
Place the white wine vinegar, mustard, honey, garlic and capers into the bowl you plan on serving the salad in. Whisk together well, then slowly drizzle the olive oil in while you continue to whisk, allowing the dressing to amalgamate together.
Add the potatoes, eggs, onions and dill, and gently fold everything together until the salad is evenly coated with dressing. Season with cracked black pepper and serve.
Let me know if you made this recipe ~ I would love to hear from you! You can find more homegrown recipes here
