Crushed new potatoes recipe

New-season spuds are amazing when you treat them simply, like in this salad of crushed new potatoes, asparagus, and petit pois.

These crushed new potatoes make a delicious spring salad. It's perfect for that time of year around Easter when asparagus and Jersey Royal new potatoes are both in season. This is when they taste their absolute best. Ready to eat in less than 30 minutes, it's one of our favourite low calorie lunch ideas - and seriously healthy. Because it's packed with protein from the quail's eggs, it will fill you up even though it has only 170 calories per serving. Alternatively, serve it as part of the main meal alongside chicken breasts or pork escalopes.

Ingredients

• 500g new potatoes
• 100g asparagus tips
• 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lemon; zest and juice of half
• 2-4 spring onions, trimmed, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 100g petit pois, just cooked
• 8 quail eggs, hard-boiled
• 2 handfuls of pea shoots
• 1 punnet mustard and cress

Method

1. Add the potatoes to a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 15-20 mins, until almost tender. Add the asparagus to the pan for 2 mins. Take the spears out and refresh them under cold water. Drain the potatoes and leave them in the colander for 5 mins.
2. Halve the potatoes as you put them in a bowl, then squash them gently with a fork. Shake the oil, lemon zest and juice in a jar. Pour about half of the dressing over the potatoes, mix in with the spring onion and season well.
3. Add the quail eggs to boiling salted water and cook for 2 and a half to 3 minutes, then refresh under cold water and remove the shells.
4. Arrange the asparagus on plates. Pile the potato mixture on top. Sprinkle the peas over, then add the egg halves and pea shoots. Scatter mustard and cress around the edge of the plate and drizzle with more dressing.

Top tips for making crushed new potatoes and shoots

The quail eggs work really well here - not just for their flavour but because they are a perfect size with the potatoes. Don’t worry if you can’t find any though. You can use chickens eggs instead, just remember to increase the cooking time.

What is the best type of potatoes to use?

For this dish you want small, waxy potatoes like Charlottes, Anyas or Maris Peer or Jersey Royals. These are usually in season from April and throughout the early summer. Bigger, floury potatoes will fall apart more as you cook them, and not crush so well.

What can I do with leftover potatoes?

Store any leftovers in a sealed container. You can make an easy potato salad with them the next day by tossing them in a tablespoon of mayonnaise.

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• Low calorie meals
• Roasted new potatoes
• New potatoes recipes