Roast Jersey Royal Salad with Bacon and Brown Butter
Crispy roasted waxy new potatoes tossed with bacon, toasted hazelnuts, fresh watercress, basil, mint and chives, then dressed with a nutty brown butter infused with garlic and lemon. The hot dressing wilts the greens slightly while keeping the potatoes fluffy inside and shrivelled outside. A spring salad with serious depth from the browned butter and textural contrast throughout.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb Jersey Royal or waxy new potatoes, scrubbed and halved if large
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 7 oz British free-range streaky bacon, chopped into thirdspancetta1:1vegetarian-option-available
similar salt and smoke profile
- 2 ¾ oz blanched hazelnuts, roughly choppedtoasted almonds1:1tree-nut-swap
similar textural crunch
- ½ cups watercress
- 1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
- 1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked
- 1 small bunch fresh chives, snipped in half
- 5 ½ oz radishes, quartered
- 5 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large splash extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ lemon, juice only
- lemon juice, from remaining half lemon(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 400°F/350°F fan/gas 6.
- 2
Toss the potatoes in olive oil, spread over a large roasting tin in a single layer, season well with salt and pepper, and roast for 30 minutes.
- 3
Scatter the bacon over the potatoes and roast for another 20 minutes.
- 4
Scatter the hazelnuts over and roast for another 5-8 minutes until potatoes are shrivelled outside and fluffy within, bacon is crisp, and hazelnuts are golden.
- 5
Turn the oven off and leave the roasted mixture inside to keep warm.
- 6
Meanwhile, combine the watercress, basil, mint, chives and radishes in a large bowl.
- 7
For the dressing, heat a small heavy-based saucepan over medium heat and gently melt the butter with sea salt.
- 8
Turn up the heat to bring the butter to a bubble, then cook until it turns golden brown and smells nutty.
- 9
Remove from the heat and add the extra-virgin olive oil, garlic and lemon juice - it will sizzle.
- 10
Cool slightly, taste, and add remaining lemon juice if needed for sharpness.
- 11
Tip the hot potato mixture into the salad bowl, drizzle with the hot butter dressing (strain to remove garlic first if you prefer a milder flavour), toss well, season if necessary, and serve immediately.
Tips
Use a roasting tin large enough that potatoes sit in a single layer without crowding for even browning and crisping.
Keep the brown butter hot when dressing the salad to lightly wilt the greens while maintaining their freshness.
Strain the brown butter through a fine sieve if you prefer to remove the garlic solids for a subtler flavour.
Good to Know
Best consumed immediately, though leftover potato salad can be refrigerated for up to 1 day and served at room temperature, though the dressing will solidify.
Potatoes can be roasted up to 4 hours ahead and reheated gently in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes. Prepare the salad greens and radishes, cover and refrigerate. Make the brown butter dressing just before serving.
Serve immediately while the potatoes are warm and the dressing is hot to ensure the greens wilt slightly and flavours meld.
Common Mistakes
Crowd the potatoes on the tin to avoid uneven cooking and steaming instead of roasting
Cook the brown butter beyond golden brown to avoid a burnt, acrid flavour
Dress the salad with cold dressing to avoid wilting the greens and muting flavours
Skip cooling the dressing slightly to avoid the butter breaking when the cold potato mixture is added
Substitutions
maintains fluffy interior and crispy exterior
similar textural crunch