

You can’t beat a really good potato salad. Not the kind supermarket versions slathered in mayonnaise that make you feel sickly after a helping, but this fresh delicious kind bursting with punchy flavours and with some cooked ham thrown in for a meaty and filling addition.
I made this dish for a picnic a few weekends ago for my house-mate and I when we were still experiencing the Irish heatwave. Luckily there is a really nice park just around the corner from my house so with the rug, dishes and food in a bag, off we trotted to the local park for a sunny light lunch. My potato salad was made with garlic, onions, capers, lemon zest and ham and really could be eaten as a meal in itself, as well as I side.

This is really quick, and the ham makes it filling and substantial enough as a main dish. I used leftovers for lunch in work on Monday, and some more leftovers the following night in a kind of a spanish omlette/ tortilla.
Ingredients:
1 kg of baby potatoes
1-2 cups of roughly torn cooked ham
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 red onions finely minced
1 small bunch of chives chopped
1 large cup of caper berries
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup rapeseed oil (or other mild tasting oil)
Sea salt
- In a big salted pot of boiling water add your potatoes and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Meanwhile add the garlic, onion and all the oil to a large pan and stir on a medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are done. You want this soft and translucent, but not golden and crispy.
- When the potatoes are cooked slice them length ways and stir into the pan (make sure the heat is off at this point) coating in the garlic and onion oil.
- Finely chop the caper berries (reserve a few whole ones for serving) and stir into the mix along with the lemon zest and a generous seasoning of sea salt.
- Serve in a dish with the remaining whole capers decorated on top with some more lemon zest.


Lovely looking salad indeed. The heatwave is now becoming part of a distant memory. But, it was fun while it lasted. Particularly when it allowed us do daft things like eat in a park!
Best,
Conor
Thanks a million, it’s a pretty punchy potato salad! I know, I still have my fingers crossed for a few more days sunshine! 🙂
Will be giving this a try Emma 🙂
Great 🙂 You can have it at one of your cool London picnics 🙂 X x x