Gordon Ramsay’s potato salad recipe is a warm side made with baby new potatoes, a honey mustard walnut oil dressing, fresh mint and shallot. It takes about 15 minutes and serves 6 to 8.
This recipe appears in Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch as part of his “Easy barbecue” chapter, where he describes the menu as “perfect for a summer barbecue” and “equally good cooked indoors on a griddle or under the grill, so you’re not dependant on the weather.” He pairs it alongside honey mustard pork chops and ginger port lamb skewers.
The technique that sets this apart: he dresses the potatoes while they’re still hot. Warm potatoes absorb the vinaigrette into their flesh instead of just sitting under it, so every bite is seasoned through rather than coated on the surface.
Gordon Ramsay Potato Salad Recipe
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6-8
5
minutes10
175
kcal15
A warm new potato salad from Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch, tossed hot in a walnut oil and honey mustard vinaigrette with shallot and fresh mint. Ramsay serves it at room temperature as part of a barbecue spread, but it works as a side for grilled fish or roast chicken too.
Ingredients
2 lbs (1kg) baby new potatoes, such as Jersey Royals or Charlotte, washed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large shallot, peeled and finely chopped
Handful of fresh mint or tarragon, leaves chopped
- Dressing:
1 tbsp tarragon vinegar or cider vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp walnut oil
2 tsp runny honey
Directions
- Boil the potatoes: Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. Don’t overcook them because they’ll fall apart when you toss them with the dressing.
- Make the dressing: While the potatoes cook, whisk together the tarragon vinegar, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, olive oil, walnut oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress while hot: Drain the potatoes and place them in a mixing bowl with the chopped shallot and mint. While the potatoes are still hot, pour over the dressing and toss to mix. The heat opens up the starch so the dressing soaks in rather than sliding off.
- Serve warm or at room temperature: This salad doesn’t need to be fridge-cold. Ramsay serves it warm or at room temperature alongside barbecued meats.
FAQs
Why does Ramsay use walnut oil instead of just olive oil?
The dressing uses both olive oil and walnut oil in equal parts. Walnut oil has a rich, nutty flavour that olive oil can’t replicate, and it pairs naturally with the honey and mustard in the vinaigrette.
Walnut oil is also lighter than extra virgin olive oil, so the dressing coats the potatoes without making them feel greasy. If you can’t find walnut oil, hazelnut oil works as a substitute, though the flavour will be slightly different.
Why does he use two types of mustard?
Dijon gives the dressing a smooth, sharp heat that dissolves into the vinaigrette evenly. Wholegrain adds pops of texture and a milder, more rounded flavour. Together they create a dressing that’s both smooth and interesting to eat.
This double mustard approach shows up across several of Ramsay’s salad dressings. His green bean salad with mustard dressing from Ultimate Cookery Course uses a similar combination.
Why Jersey Royals or Charlotte potatoes specifically?
Both are waxy varieties, which means they hold their shape after boiling. Floury potatoes like Maris Piper or Russets break apart when tossed, turning the salad into mash. In the US, Yukon Gold or red potatoes are the closest match.
Jersey Royals have a short season in the UK from April to July, and Ramsay places this recipe in his summer barbecue chapter for a reason. When they’re in season, their flavour is sweeter and more earthy than any other new potato.
How is this different from his other potato salad versions?
Ramsay has three other potato salads across his books, and each takes a completely different direction. In Quick and Delicious, his warm potato salad goes Scandinavian with crème fraîche, capers and dill, served under pan-fried salmon. In Ultimate Christmas, he char-grills Desirée potato rounds on a griddle with a juniper and thyme shallot dressing, topped with smoked salmon.
The Sunday Lunch version is the simplest and the only one that stands alone as a side dish. The others are built as components of a larger plated dish.
Can I make this ahead for a barbecue?
Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch menu plan says to make the dressing and wash the potatoes several hours in advance, then cook and toss them about 30 minutes before serving. This timing makes sense because the potatoes absorb the most flavour when dressed hot.
If you need to make it further ahead, dress the potatoes warm and leave them covered at room temperature for up to two hours. Refrigerating kills the texture and mutes the walnut oil flavour. Add the fresh mint just before serving so it stays bright.
Why mint instead of the usual parsley or chives?
Most potato salad recipes default to parsley or chives, but Ramsay pairs mint with the honey in the dressing. The sweetness of honey and the freshness of mint work together the same way they do in a lamb dish, which makes sense because he serves this alongside his lamb skewers at the same barbecue.
I’m Ava Taylor. I’m A Self-taught Home Cook Who Loves Gordon Ramsay Recipes. I Try Every Dish In My Small Apartment Kitchen And Tweak It Until It Works. I Write Clear Steps With Simple Words So Anyone Can Follow. I Share Honest Wins, Mistakes, And Quick Tips To Help You Cook With Confidence.