What I love about this Warm Winter Potato Salad is the light crunch that is left in the fennel. It works so well with the potatoes and other ingredients.

As the name states, potatoes are the main ingredient and I used Ruby Gem baby potatoes for their colour. But any small potatoes will be fine.

However, I want to focus on the ingredient that is not typically used in cooked dishes.

Radishes

There are several different varieties in different colours and sizes, with different tastes ranging from spicy to mild and even sweet. But I used the most common, small round ones, that you can get all year round in UK supermarkets.

Did you know?

On 23rd December every year in Oaxaca, Mexico, the have ‘The Night of The Radishes’ where they carve nativity scenes from radishes!

Containing potassium which aids blood pressure regulation, Manganese that supports even function of the brain and nervous system, and Calcium, they provide sources of Folate (B9), Riboflavin (B2), and Vitamin C.

Low in calories and with 1.6g of fibre per 100g and 0.7g of protein per 100g.

Although in their raw state radishes can have quite a strong peppery taste, during cooking some of this peppery taste is lost, making them ideal to add a subtle flavour, and colour, to this dish. Also, if you are not a fan of the peppery taste a raw radish gives, this is a great way to try them, as you may realise you like them a whole lot better when lightly cooked.

Read more about the health benefits of radishes in this article – 10 Health Benefits of Radish: The Power Source of Potassium, Vitamin C and Fiber.

How to Make Warm Winter Potato Salad

Equipment you will need

Kitchen scales

Sharp knife or garlic slicer

Large saucepan with a lid

Wooden spatula or similar

Measuring spoons

Large frying pan or wok

Step 1 – Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in a pan, cover with cold water, cover the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft when tested with a knife.

Step 2 – Whilst the potatoes are simmering, pan toast the pine nuts by heating a dry frying pan, over a medium heat, and tossing the nuts in the pan for 30-60 seconds, until they start to turn golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.

It’s important to remove the toasted pine nuts from the hot pan as the residual heat in the pan will continue to toast them and they risk being burnt which will spoil their and the dishes flavour.

Step 3 – When the potatoes are cooked, drain and set aside.

If you want to save time and plan ahead, the potatoes can be cooked the day before. Or you can use leftover potatoes instead if you want to use them up. If you do use potatoes that have cooled completely or have been stored in the fridge, you will just need to stir-fry them for a couple of minutes before adding the shallots, so that they can heat up a little. Otherwise, as this dish comes together quite quickly, you may find that the potatoes are not hot enough.

Step 4 – Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, over a high-medium heat, add the potatoes and shallots, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

Step 5 – Add the radish, fennel, and garlic and continue to stir-fry for a further 3-4 minutes, reducing heat if necessary so as not to burn the ingredients.

Slicing garlic really thin is not the easiest thing to do. So, if you can’t get it really thin, you may want to add it at the same time as the shallots to ensure it cooks through. I love raw garlic but people can find it bitter and strong if they are not used to it. Also, when adding garlic to a dish like this, it’s a good idea to use freshly bought garlic. When the garlic has sat around for a while, its bitterness can intensify as the green shoot in the middle starts to grow.

It’s still fine to use garlic in your cooking when it starts to shoot but it’s a good idea to remove the shoot from the middle of the clove and use it in a dish where it will be thoroughly cooked.

Step 6 – Remove from the heat, and stir in the pine nuts.

The pine nuts will warm back through from the heat of the other ingredients.

Step 7 – Season to taste with freshly ground salt and black pepper (optional), and serve sprinkled with the chopped chives.

This Warm Winter Potato Salad will go with many other dishes such as my Walnut & Mushroom Parcels and Red Cabbage Slaw for even more crunch.

Also, my pan seared little gems make a very tasty addition to a plate of this warm winter potato salad!

But whatever you serve with yours, I would love to know. So please leave me a comment in the box below. ????????

Happy Warm Winter Potato Salad making and ENJOY!