Jamie Oliver’s crispy potato and egg salad is pan-fried new potatoes topped with soft-boiled eggs, quick-pickled cucumber and radishes, frozen peas and a herby yoghurt and mustard dressing. It takes 35 minutes, serves 4 and works as a brunch or a light lunch.
Oliver published this on jamieoliver.com as part of his Samsung collaboration and his intro sums it up well: “Golden, crunchy potatoes are a thing of beauty, but traditionally rely on a long time in the oven. In this brunch recipe I’ve fried new potatoes until crisp and golden, tossed with quick pickled veg, then topped with a soft-boiled egg, a creamy dressing and fresh herbs.”
The potatoes are fried in a pan for a full 20 minutes rather than boiled or roasted, which is what gives them that crunchy golden shell. Oliver chops them into 2cm chunks so they cook through on the inside while the flat cut faces crisp up against the hot pan. It’s faster than roasting and the result is crunchier than boiling.
Jamie Oliver Crispy Potato And Egg Salad
Course: SaladsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes20
minutes495
kcal35
minutesOliver builds this in layers: hot crispy potatoes go down first, cold pickled veg in the centre, soft-boiled eggs dotted over the top, then the yoghurt dressing spooned on last. Every component is a different temperature and texture, which is what stops it feeling like a standard potato salad.
Ingredients
1kg new potatoes
Olive oil
4 large free-range eggs
1 cucumber
100g radishes
Red wine vinegar
300g frozen peas
8 tablespoons Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of fresh soft herbs, such as mint, dill, parsley (30g)
Directions
- Fry the potatoes: Scrub and chop the potatoes into 2cm chunks, then place in a large non-stick pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, stirring regularly.
- Boil the eggs and pickle the veg: Meanwhile, put the eggs in a medium pan, cover with cold water, then place on a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes. Peel the cucumber, then cut it in half lengthways, remove the seeds and thickly slice on an angle. Trim and finely slice the radishes, then place it all in a bowl with a splash of red wine vinegar and a pinch of salt, and set aside to pickle.
- Cook the peas: When the time is up on the eggs, carefully remove them into a bowl of ice-cold water. Add the frozen peas to the pan of boiling water and cook for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh under cold water. Add the peas to the pickling bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together the yoghurt, mustard, 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Finely chop most of the herb leaves, reserving a few small ones for later, then add to the bowl and season.
- Serve: Tip the hot potatoes onto a serving dish, then make a well and place the drained pickled veg in the centre. Peel the eggs, cut in half and dot over the top. Dollop over the yoghurt dressing and scatter over the remaining herbs.
Notes
- Calories: 1kg potatoes (700) + 2 tbsp olive oil (240) + 4 eggs (312) + cucumber (53) + radishes (16) + 300g peas (243) + 300g yoghurt (291) + 1 tbsp EVOO (120) = 1,975 ÷ 4 = 495 kcal per serving
FAQs
Can I use boiled or roasted potatoes instead of pan-fried?
The pan-frying is what makes this salad different from a standard potato salad. Oliver fries the chunks for a full 20 minutes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, which builds a golden crust on the flat cut faces. Boiled potatoes would give you a softer, more traditional result, and roasted potatoes would take 40 minutes instead of 20.
The hot crispy potatoes against the cold pickled vegetables is the whole point of the dish. If everything is the same temperature and texture, you’ve just got a bowl of dressed potatoes. The crunch from the frying, the chill from the pickled veg and the softness of the 6-minute egg are doing three different jobs.
Why does Oliver only boil the eggs for 6 minutes?
Six minutes gives you a fully set white with a yolk that’s still jammy and slightly runny in the centre. When you cut the eggs in half and dot them over the hot potatoes, that soft yolk starts to melt and mixes with the yoghurt dressing underneath. It becomes part of the sauce rather than sitting separately on top.
If you prefer a firmer yolk, go to 8 minutes for a set but slightly fudgy centre, or 10 minutes for fully hard-boiled. Oliver’s leftover tip actually suggests hard-boiling any spare eggs and mashing them with yoghurt, mustard and herbs for a sandwich filling, so he clearly sees value in both textures.
What does quick-pickling the cucumber and radishes actually do?
The splash of red wine vinegar and pinch of salt draws moisture out of the cucumber and radishes while softening their raw crunch. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes (the time the potatoes are frying), and it gives you vegetables that are sharp and tangy rather than bland and watery. Oliver adds the cooked peas to the same pickling bowl, which gives them a vinegary edge too.
Without the pickling step, this would be a warm potato salad with raw veg on top, which is a much flatter combination. The acidity from the vinegar cuts through the olive oil on the potatoes and the richness of the yoghurt dressing, keeping every mouthful bright.
Can I use crème fraîche instead of Greek yoghurt?
Oliver lists both as options: “Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche.” Greek yoghurt gives a tangier, sharper dressing that stands up well against the pickled veg. Crème fraîche is milder and richer, so the dressing tastes creamier and more French in character.
I’ve made it with both and the yoghurt version is better for brunch because the sharpness wakes the palate up. The crème fraîche version works better as a dinner-party starter where you want something smoother and more polished. The Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar in the dressing provide enough acidity either way.
What herbs work best in this salad?
Oliver says “fresh soft herbs, such as mint, dill, parsley” and gives you 30g to play with. The combination of all three is best because each herb does something different: mint adds freshness, dill brings an anise note that pairs with the cucumber, and parsley ties everything together without dominating.
If you only have one, go with dill because it connects the potatoes, eggs and pickled veg better than any single herb can. Avoid woody herbs like rosemary or thyme here — they’re too strong for a cold dressing and don’t blend into the yoghurt the way soft leaves do.
Can I make this ahead for a packed lunch?
Oliver gives a specific leftover tip: “Turn any leftovers into a filling packed lunch.” The crispy potatoes soften overnight, so don’t expect the crunch to survive, but the flavours actually improve as the dressing soaks into the potatoes. Pack the dressing separately if you want to keep some texture.
The pickled veg and dressing keep well in the fridge for 2 days. I’d fry the potatoes and boil the eggs fresh when you’re ready to eat, then assemble with the prepped veg and dressing. That way you get the hot-cold contrast Oliver designed the dish around.
