Hot Summers always make me think of my childhood when back home in the UK we would have what we thought were sweltering hot days of 28 degrees! Although now I’m in Sydney 28 degrees doesn’t seem hot, especially as this long weekend in Sydney it’s reaching highs of 38 degrees – I honestly think I might die!
However, anyone that knows me well would know that 25 degrees is my max, anything above this and I swelter which isn’t a good look! I think I may have to live in a fridge this weekend just to stay alive!
Anyways, on hot days back home (which were a rarity) we would dig out the BBQ and cook up a BBQ feast full of burgers, sausages, kebabs, chicken and many more tasty meaty delights! However, I always loved the salads which went with it, in particular potato salad and my Mum would make the perfect potato salad which I would devour and find it extremely difficult to stop eating.
So, as it is a swelter this weekend, I’ve decided to relive my childhood and create the Perfect Potato Salad to go with our BBQ (sausages, chicken and steak included!). It’s dead simple to make and takes no time at all; however, it’s probably best to make more rather than less as if you are anything like me you will probably find it difficult to stop eating the potato salad once you try it!
And it’s not just BBQ’s which go perfectly with potato salad. Picnics are a great opportunity to bring out the potato salad along with pork pies, scotch eggs, hams, cold meats and cheese! In fact, it also makes the perfect accompaniment for a salad and adds some much needed carbs (salad in my opinion needs some sort of carbs otherwise it doesn’t fill me up!).
So what makes the perfect potato salad?
Firstly you need to choose your potatoes. Back home in the UK we have a great variety of potatoes to choose from, but in Australia it seems to be slightly more limited. Carisma potatoes are great for salads, but are also good for boiling and mashing and they are perfect for my potato salad. I like to peel my potatoes, as I prefer the skin off, but it’s up to you if you prefer to keep the skin on. If you do remove the skin, don’t forget you can always save the skin for other uses such as making potato crisps!
When it comes to the mayonnaise, the best would be to make this yourself, but if you are short on time then any creamy mayonnaise will work a treat!
I also find the key to making the perfect potato salad is having plenty of seasoning. Potatoes need a good amount of salt and pepper to bring out the flavour, and this applies when making your potato salad. You should also keep it in the fridge for a good few hours before serving to ensure it is cold.
Make sure you taste as you go and adjust the below ingredients to suit your tastebuds! I like to keep all my ingredients nice and small so fine dicing is the way to go when creating the ultimate perfect potato salad.
Ready to make the perfect potato salad? Here’s what you need to know:
Bon appetit!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 5 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- Handful of chives, finely chopped
- Half an onion, finely diced
- One piece of celery, very finely diced
- 1 Spring onion, chopped
- 1 whole cup of Mayonnaise
- Black pepper and salt to season
Recipe
- Bring the saucepan of potatoes to a boil until just cooked (note: do not boil too long otherwise potatoes will lose their shape and fall apart).
- Drain the potatoes and transfer into a bowl to cool down. If short on time, place in the fridge to cool down faster.
- Once cooled, mix in the mayonnaise, chives, celery, onion and spring onion.
- Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately or place in the fridge ready for later.