When I think of potato salad, my mind pictures lumps of sad, boiled potatoes swimming in a lake of gloopy mayonnaise. The taste is somewhere between bland, boring, beige or vanilla.

It’s the side dish that brings the plate at a barbecue or picnic together, to provide a filling portion of carbs to soak up the flavours of summer. Since it’s National BBQ Week, it would only be right to perfect one of the most-loved side dishes. It is, however, my second week testing out potato salad variations, so I have something to compare it to. Last week, I tested out a potato salad hack which used no mayo whatsoever. Yes, it is possible.

However, one trend making its way around social media is swapping out those boring old boiled potatoes for something with a little bit of crunch. Instead of stopping at just boiling baby potatoes, they’re then pressed down and roasted in the oven - or the air fryer - with oil and some salt.

The recipe I followed is from Nate Anthony’s from Bored of Lunch, which utilises the air fryer. As an avid air fryer hater, I’ll settle for the oven. Another variation of a crispy potato salad has been done by chef Jon Watts.

You need a good amount of patience for Nate’s recipe, as you need to first boil the potatoes, then roast or air fry them again. My potatoes needed more time than the prescribed 25 minutes, closer to 50 minutes.

An air fryer is more suitable for those cooking on time constraints, but really, you can work with what you’ve got on hand. It’s also important to make sure that you’ve squished the potatoes enough, as they’ll crisp up easier.

You’ll need plenty of oil to cover the spuds in, as this really is the key to getting the skins crispy. I can’t say I’m overly thrilled with the dressing recipe, with several tablespoons of creamy Greek yoghurt and just as creamy mayo.

The only change I made was removing the bacon lardons, which make the potato salad vegetarian. However, I don’t doubt the bacon’s saltiness would be a welcome addition to any spud salad.

Personally, I don’t think you need to follow Nate’s dressing recipe. I think you can use the steps to perfect your potatoes, then use it with whatever your dressing of choice would be.

If you’re not a fan of mayo, this is the Potato Salad with no mayo recipe I trialled last week. To achieve a creamy consistency, all you need is add reserved potato water to the salad. Spoiler alert.

Once the 50 minute mark was up, my spuds looked enviable. The only thing I should’ve done was be a bit more liberal with my oil.

Make sure to rest the potatoes for around five minutes to cool slightly. Personally, I don’t mind having a hot potato salad as I feel it brings another dimension to a recognisable dish.

The crispy potatoes are a game changer, no doubt. Especially when they’re seasoned and cooked with some salt. It definitely makes up for the absence of bacon lardons.

The mix of hot and cold temperatures is also enjoyable. They don’t battle as much as you would expect.

Hands down, I would swap regular boiled potatoes for crispy ones any day. The change makes what can be considered a boring dish into something more fun and playful.

Crispy potatoes also added a much-needed dose of texture. With boiled potatoes and a thick, creamy dressing, it can be quite cloying in the mouth, but the crisp and crunch is much more enjoyable.

Air Fryer Crispy Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 750g baby potatoes
• 200g bacon lardons (can be pre-cooked bacon)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp light mayo
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Garlic (optional)
• Chives
• Parsley

Method

Boil your baby potatoes for 30 minutes (or until tender). Line your air fryer with some parchment paper and set your boiled baby potatoes on top.

Take a pint glass and crush the potatoes so they are flat and sprinkle with salt, pepper and plenty of olive oil. Air fry the potatoes for 25 minutes at 200℃ until nice and crispy.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare your dressing by mixing Greek yoghurt, light mayo, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic (optional), cooked bacon, parsley, chives and some salt and pepper.

Once the potatoes are cooked, let them cool for five minutes and chop them into quarter pieces and pop them into the dressing. Give it a good stir and serve with some chives on top.

Serve and enjoy!