Recipe of the week
Potato & bean salad with herb dressing
Chances are, you’ll have festive leftovers soon – here’s one simple way to reinvent the humble potato with panache.
For a speedy side dish to go with dinner, leftover new potatoes just need a quick scorch in a pan, a tasty dressing and some blanched beans to be recreated as a wonderful salad.
This recipe serves six, but if you have fewer mouths to feed – or not as many leftovers – adjust quantities accordingly.
❚ 250g green beans, trimmed and halved diagonally
❚ Olive oil for frying
❚ 1kg cooked baby new potatoes
❚ Herb dressing:
❚ 4 tbsp olive oil
❚ 1 large red chilli, seeds removed, finely sliced
❚ 2 cloves garlic, crushed
❚ 2 tbsp chopped mint
❚ 2 tbsp Italian parsley
❚ 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
❚ 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add beans and blanch 1-2 minutes or until bright green. Drain and refresh under cold water; drain again.
Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick frying pan. Add potatoes and season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss in the pan to give some colour then remove from heat to cool.
Combine all dressing ingredients (the dressing can be made several days ahead, excluding the fresh herbs – they will discolour so should be added just before serving).
To serve, place cooled potatoes and beans in a bowl and pour dressing over. Toss well. Serve salad at room temperature.
Serves 6 as a side dish