This salad is not much like the mayonnaise flooded, stodgy version of potato salad familiar to many. It has a nutty hazelnut and mustard dressing that has a great bite and contrasts with tender potatoes and crunchy peas. It’s perfect for when sugar snap and snow peas are in season. It can be served warm, or at room temperature. At our place this goes with a pan fried salmon steak or grilled chicken and a glass of pinot gris.
Serves 4 – 6
100g snow peas (mange-tout)
150g sugar snap peas
500g Kipfler or red skinned potatoes
50g snow pea sprouts, ends trimmed
2 shallots, finely sliced
Dressing:
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Preheat the oven to 180 C. Roast the hazelnuts fro 5 minutes and then wrap in a clean tea towel. Rub vigorously on the bench top until the dark skins fall off. Discard the skins and finely chop the hazelnuts. Cut the potatoes into wedges and then boil, steam or microwave until tender, but not too soft. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add a pinch of salt and the cook the snow peas and sugar snap peas for 1 minute. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to refresh. In a jar combine all the dressing ingredients and shake well. Place the cooked potato in a bowl and pour over 3/4 of the dressing. Gently toss the potatoes with your hands until well coated with the dressing. Turn onto a serving platter with the peas, sprouts and shallots and then drizzle over the remaining dressing. Serve straight away, while the potato is still warm and the peas tender crisp.
Simple food 