Luxury potato salad

Fresh from the garden: Potatoes, corn, chives, coriander, mint, spring onions

Recipe source: Melissa

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We’re enjoying some slightly warmer weather – hurray! Whether in the park at a picnic, or at home with a BBQ this salad is always a winner – and especially with this luxurious mayo.

What to do:

• Wash the potatoes well, using a brush if needed, and cut any larger ones in half or quarter. Put them all into the large saucepan, cover with cold water and set to boil.
• Strip the husks from the corn cobs, wash and wipe dry and then carefully slice off the kernels.
• Wash the mint and add to the potatoes with a tablespoon of cooking salt. Once the water is boiling, check to see if tender after about 15 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, add the corn kernels.
• Meanwhile make the mayonnaise (see over for recipe) and wash the remaining herbs and spring onions and dry well. Pick the herbs and finely chop; remove the outer layer of spring onion (discarding it) and chop into slices about half the size of the nail on your little finger.
• When the potatoes & corn are tender, pour out into a colander and drain. Shake to remove excess water and turn back into the warm saucepan, immediately adding the mayonnaise and spring onions. Using the metal spoon, carefully turn the warm mixture so that all is covered. Taste for seasoning and add if needed.
• Just before serving, sprinkle over the chopped herbs and turn out into serving bowls.

Mayonnaise

• Separate the eggs and put the 2 yolks into a medium bowl reserving the whites for another use.
• Crush the garlic clove and add to yolks with the mustard powder and a teaspoon of white wine vinegar.
• Season with a level teaspoon of salt and a few twists of freshly milled pepper, and mix well together. Place the bowl onto a folded damp tea towel to steady.
• Measure the rice bran oil into a jug, and using the electric whisk in one hand, add just only one drop of oil to the egg mixture, and whisk that in. Keep adding just one drop at a time, mixing in well after each addition.
• As soon as it begins to thicken, begin to add the oil in larger drops.
• When about half the oil is in you can begin pouring in the oil in a thin, steady trickle – whisking the whole time.
• When it’s all in, taste and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and, if it needs it, a little more vinegar to taste. Cover with wrap and chill until the potatoes are ready.

TROUBLESHOOTING!

• There is a risk home-made mayonnaise will curdle or split if you add the oil too fast, too soon. If that happens, just put a fresh yolk into a clean bowl, add the curdled mixture to that, drop by drop, and then carry on with the remainder of the oil as if nothing had happened.

Notes: What does to curdle mean? What is a chat potato? Why do we start cooking the potatoes in cold water?