Potato Salad

Predictably enough, when invited to whip up European fare for the Eurovision party that's become an annual tradition, we decided to opt for Finnish food stuffs. It seemed necessary: with Finland booted out of the final (probably a good thing, considering the toe-curling awfulness of previous years' entries), it was the only way to ensure a drop of home during the evening's proceedings. The success rate of our offerings proved variable. Although delicious, the traditional Karelian pies (rye-and-rice pastries) whipped up by the Mrs (a bona fide honorary Finn after this baking feat), served with artery-clogging slabs of egg butter, proved just a bit too foreign for some, leaving me to mop up most of the eggy mess, my reward being a persistent bellyache. This potato salad, however, was a hit. Granted, potato salad isn't an exclusively Finnish dish, but as this is based on my mum's recipe, it always makes me think of home.

Ingredients (enough for a big bowl)

• 750g of small potatoes (such as salad potatoes or the super-tasty Jersey Royals)
• A generous bunch of dill (finely chopped, to taste)
• 3-4 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar (red wine vinegar will work, too)
• 1 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
• A good pinch of ground white pepper
• Salt, black pepper (to taste)     

How to make

This salad really couldn't be any easier if it cooked and assembled itself! Start by boiling your potatoes in lightly salted water. Keep an eye on the taters - you want them to be cooked through, but still firm enough to not turn into mush when you cut into them. Once the potatoes are cooked, cool them under cold water and set aside to dry for a few minutes.

Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, chop them into bite-size chunks. Place these into a roomy bowl and add other ingredients. Mix everything together thoroughly and serve! If you want to add a bit of extra flavour and crunch, finely chopped red or spring onion or roughly chopped gherkins work well with the salad, but it really is best to keep this one as simple as possible and let the potatoes hog the spotlight.