Potato & Hot-smoked Trout Salad
This dish riffs off my Nana’s potato salad which was always served warm. I didn’t realise that most people served their potato salad cold. Turns out my grandmother never cooked the potatoes early enough to let them cool before dressing them. True story.
The key is letting the potatoes cool just enough so they don’t split the mayonnaise when dressed. The richness of smoked fish and mayonnaise is tempered by the addition of herbs, pickles and their brine. I also like that I can eat this over a couple of days without compromising on taste.
ingredients
- 3 potatoes, cubed large
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp pickle brine (cornichon brine works)
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ¼ tsp celery seed
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- 10 cornichons, finely sliced
- hot smoked trout fillet, skin and bones removed, flaked (200-250g finished weight)
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber, cut in 4 batons lengthways then sliced
method
Starting in cold water, cook the cubed potatoes in minimal water until a knife can be inserted into the centre easily. On a medium heat, mine took 10 minutes. Drain well and leave in the warm pan for any moisture to drive off.
Stir mayonnaise together with mustard then thin out with the pickles brine. Fold in the dill, celery seed, spring onion and cornichons. Taste for seasoning and add salt if you require; this will depend in part on how salty your pickle brine is. Once the potatoes are room temperature, gently turn them over until covered in the dressing.
Flake in the fish, double-checking for any stray bones that may have slipped through. Scatter the sliced cucumber across and fold in with a light hand so as not to break apart the potato too much.