Potato salad

1.5kg potatoes (I would use New Potatoes or Jersey Royals)
a handful of finely chopped dill and parsley
a teaspoon of chopped chives
3 teaspoons of mustard
a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
pepper and salt (to season)

MAYONNAISE3 egg yolks
vegetable oil
olive oil (extra virgin is preferable)

Peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks.
Rinse the potatoes to get rid of excess starch. This is what makes the potatoes sticky and glutinous.
Boil the potatoes over a medium heat for 30 minutes (or until you can put a fork in easily).
When the potatoes are cooked, rinse them in cold water to stop them cooking.

Beat the egg yolks until you have a liquid.
Whilst whisking, add a little vegetable oil.  You must add it gradually so that the mixture does not separate.
Continue whisking and add some olive oil.
Repeat this until it looks like mayonnaise and you have the amount you need.

Add the mustard, herbs, vinegar, and pepper and salt to the mayonnaise, and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Toss among the potatoes and serve immediately.

Baked salmon

Salmon is an easy fish to cook well, and this recipe shows one of the easiest ways.

2 fillets of salmon
butter
herbs- dill, oregano, etc
pinenuts

Preheat an oven to 180C.
Place the salmon fillets on separate pieces on tin foil.
Sprinkle herbs on the salmon fillets, and top with thin slices of butter.
Wrap the tinfoil up loosely into a parcel and put into the oven for 20 minutes.

In the meantime put a pan on a medium heat and gently toast the pinenuts. When the pinenuts are golden brown, take out of the pan or they will continue cooking.

Unrap the cooked salmon and serve with the pinenuts, and some fresh egg noodles.



You could...
instead of using butter, top the salmon with basil pesto and toasted pieces of flour tortilla
replace the butter with a drizzle of white wine
add sprigs of rosemary


Many people think that salmon cooked this way should be eaten straight from the oven, but I think there is often more flavour in the salmon when it is cold.