Potato & Hot-smoked Trout Salad
This dish is my playful riff on Nana’s potato salad—the kind she always served warm, long before I realised most people ate it chilled. Her secret? No secret at all. She simply never cooked the potatoes early enough to cool them down before dressing. Classic Nana.
Here, the trick is to let the potatoes cool just enough so the mayonnaise stays silky and doesn’t split. Smoked fish and creamy mayo bring the richness, while fresh herbs, sharp pickles, and a splash of brine cut right through with brightness. The best part is it tastes just as good on day two (if it lasts that long).
ingredients
- 3 potatoes, cubed large
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp pickle brine (cornichon brine works)
- ½ tsp dried dill
- ¼ tsp celery seed
- 1 spring onion, finely sliced
- 10 cornichons, finely sliced
- 350g hot smoked trout fillet, skin and bones removed, flaked (250g finished weight)
- 1 small Lebanese cucumber, cut in 4 batons lengthways then sliced
Starting in cold water, cook the cubed potatoes in minimal water until a knife can be inserted into the centre easily. On a medium heat, mine took 10 minutes. Drain well and leave in the warm pan for any moisture to drive off.
Stir mayonnaise together with mustard then thin out with the pickles brine. Fold in the dill, celery seed, spring onion and cornichons. Taste for seasoning and add salt if you require; this will depend in part on how salty your pickle brine is. Once the potatoes are room temperature, gently turn them over until covered in the dressing.
Flake in the fish, double-checking for any stray bones that may have slipped through. Scatter the sliced cucumber across and fold in with a light hand so as not to break apart the potato too much.