A creamy, slightly-chilled potato salad goes well with most meats that have been barbecued. Maggie and I make one several times during the warmer months; the latest one was one of our best ever, thanks to some ultra-fresh small potatoes and the seasonal supply of parsley and chives from our garden.
However, when we barbecue a piece of lean, boneless lamb – the backstrap as it is known here – we prefer to make a warm potato salad and dress it with olive oil. It’s quick to prepare and has a high flavour-to-effort ratio.
Ingredients
500g small potatoes, skin left on
2 tbsp olive oil
plenty of salt flakes and freshly-ground black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped fresh spring onion
Method
- Cut any larger potatoes into segments (3 to 4 cm). Place potatoes in saucepan of cold salted water and bring to the boil.
- Cook the potatoes for about 7 to 9 minutes from the time they come to the boil. The potatoes should be firm but cooked through.
- Drain potatoes and return to pan or a large bowl. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and gently toss to coat the potatoes.
- Leave for about five minutes then add the parsley and onion and gently toss before serving.
Last night, I used kipfler potatoes to make the salad. I barbecued the lamb for 5 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other, yielding a nice pink colour in the centre of the meat. The other item on my plate was a salad of our cherry tomatoes, tossed with some pearls of mozzarella-style cheese, shredded basil, a little balsamic vinegar and a little less olive oil.
