Peri-peri chicken and spicy boerewors do a lot of the work on a braai plate, so the potato salad’s job is to cool things down, not compete for attention. This version leans on mayo and a spoon of mustard for tang, boiled egg for richness, and just enough crunch from celery and spring onion that it doesn’t turn into mash by the time it’s dished up. Boil the potatoes properly, dress them while they’re still warm, and it does the rest of the work on its own.
Creamy Potato Salad#
Ingredients#
- 1.2kg potatoes, waxy or all-purpose (not floury baking potatoes), peeled
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 3–4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- ½ small red onion, finely diced
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped (parsley works too)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Smoked paprika, for dusting on top (optional)
Method#
Boil the potatoes. Cut the peeled potatoes into even 2–3cm chunks and place in a large pot. Cover with cold, well-salted water — starting them in cold water is what cooks them evenly all the way through instead of mushy on the outside and raw in the middle. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 12–15 minutes, until a knife slides in with almost no resistance. Drain well.
Boil the eggs. While the potatoes are going, lower the eggs into a separate pot of simmering water and cook for 9–10 minutes for a firm but not chalky yolk. Move straight into an ice bath to stop the cooking, then peel and roughly chop.
Dress the potatoes warm. Tip the drained, still-hot potatoes into a large bowl and drizzle over the apple cider vinegar straight away, tossing gently. Warm potatoes absorb the vinegar instead of just sitting in it, and it’s this step that seasons the salad from the inside instead of leaving all the flavour sitting in the dressing on top. Let them cool for 10–15 minutes before you add anything creamy.
Make the dressing. In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream), and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper.
Combine. Once the potatoes have cooled to just-warm or room temperature, add the celery, spring onion, red onion, chopped eggs, and dressing. Fold everything together gently — you want to coat, not mash. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, or a touch more mustard.
Chill and finish. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving — the salad tightens up and the flavours settle. Just before it goes on the table, scatter over the fresh chives and a light dusting of smoked paprika.
Notes#
- Adding the mayo dressing while the potatoes are still hot is the most common way to ruin this — the mayo splits and goes greasy-looking instead of creamy. Cool the potatoes first, dress them last.
- Waxy potatoes hold their shape through boiling and folding; floury potatoes (the kind you’d bake) break down into a mash-like texture here. If waxy isn’t available, all-purpose is fine — just don’t overboil.
- This one is better made a few hours ahead, or even the night before — it gives the potatoes time to properly take on the dressing, and it’s one less thing to do while the fire’s going.
- If it looks slightly dry after chilling, that’s normal — the potatoes keep absorbing dressing overnight. Loosen with a spoon of mayo before serving rather than making it wetter than you want up front.
- Cutting the potatoes to a uniform size matters more than it sounds — uneven chunks mean some are still firm while others have gone soft and started falling apart by the time you drain the pot.