Thursday, 11th July – My Dad’s Potato Salad

A while back I promised someone this recipe, and then forgot all about it. This is a somewhat ad hoc recipe, as I don’t think I’ve ever seen it written down. I just know how to do it!

Ingredients (approximate quantities only):

1kg waxy potatoes
3 or 4 large gherkins
2-3 rollmop herrings and their brine/onions
1-2 Granny Smith apples
Lots of mayonnaise

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks. Bring to the boil in a large pan of salted water, and cook until soft. Drain and allow to cool. Do not wait until they are cold.
2. Chop the gherkins finely and place them in a large bowl.
3. Peel and chop the Granny Smith apples into very small cubes. Add them to the bowl.
4. Unroll the herrings and set the onions aside. Chop the herrings into small pieces and add them to the bowl.
5. Chop up the onions and add them to the bowl.
6. Add the potatoes to the bowl and mix everything together.
7. Add a hefty dollop of mayonnaise to the potato mix and stir everything round. Everything should be well coated, so add more mayonnaise as needed.
8. Add a tablepoon or two of the rollmop juices to loosen the mix.
9. Season if necessary.
10. Enjoy with German sausages, or other meat dishes.

Notes:

I think it’s at its best if you can leave it for a day or so in the fridge and then take it out an hour before you want to serve it. This is very much one of the tastes of my childhood.

If you don’t want to, you don’t have to peel the potatoes. Just make sure they are thoroughly clean. I prefer the way this looks without the skins on.