I've Been Living Off This Spanish Potato Salad For Days In The Heatwave

The potato salad in the fridgeI have something to confess: during the last three heatwaves, I found myself snacking on popcorn for dinner while the groceries I’d bought for the week stared forlornly at me from the fridge. It’s not because I don’t love my usual meal rotation (I do). It’s just that during our unusually uncomfortable hot weather, I can’t stand to stick the oven on at all. Nor do I want to stand over my stove for more than 10 minutes. In times like these, I love something like a dense bean salad – a hearty, filling recipe that lasts for days and can simply be piled up on your plate from the fridge.So, I recently tried a variation of the Spanish papas aliñás salad. It’ll be my dinner tonight for the third day in a row (I don’t recommend keeping it longer).To be completely honest with you, I think I’ll just make a fresh batch once that’s done – so addictive and easy-to-make is the dish. What is papas aliñás?Also called patatas aliñadas, it’s a Spanish potato salad usually made with potatoes, sherry vinegar, parsley, onions, hard-boiled eggs, salt, and olive oil. The humble recipe changes from region to region – Spanish cooking expert Guillermo Varela explained on Instagram, “in the south it is more common to find this tapa with melva instead (a fish from the family of tunas but smaller and with a slightly different texture)”.But the steps remain roughly the same: combine boiled eggs and boiled potatoes with the onions, parsley, oil, and tart vinegar together while the spuds are still warm and then eat it once chilled. I found the recipe to be incredibly easy but was a little worried the undeniably pungent ingredients would become overpowering. Nope – I couldn’t believe the fresh flavour (a bit like a deconstructed and cold fishcake with added zing). I could instantly see why Valera called the “classic” salad “one of the best things to enjoy with a cold beer during the intense Spanish summer”.The fact that prep involved nothing but an airtight container and a spoon for the three days I’ve been eating it is a definite bonus.Papas aliñásWhat’s the recipe for papas aliñás?Some recipes use waxy new potatoes, while others seem to use bigger, flourier kinds (I went with roosters).Valera recommends either red onions or spring onions, while Spanish cooking site Spanish Sabores opts for white onions.All of which is to say that, like the potato salad non-Spanish people might be used to making at home, there are no set-in-stone rules; only a general approach. And as Spanish Sabores points out, the recipe was devised in coastal Cádiz, home to some of the world’s best tuna. So, however you make it, try to “use very high-quality ingredients”. With that said, the recipe I used to last me three days (which could therefore feed three people) was: Ingredients 150g (one can) tinned tuna 600g potatoes (preferably waxier or medium waxy kinds) 4 spring onions, finely chopped (use a small red or white onion if you like)3 hard-boiled eggsAn entire bunch of parsley30ml sherry vinegar Olive oil (to taste)Salt (to taste)Method Boil the potatoes in their skins starting from cold, salted water. Once the water starts to boil, check on them every five minutes; once they’re fork-tender, drain them and leave them to steam off in a colander.While your potatoes are boiling, bring a pan of water to the boil and then add the eggs. Boil for eight minutes, then plunge the eggs in cold water. Leave for about five minutes before peeling.Finely chop your onion and parsley. Once your potatoes are cool enough to handle (at least 15 minutes), peel their skins and chop them into a large bowl. It helps if these are still a little warm, as that helps them to absorb more of the seasoning and dressing.Add the parsley, onions, olive oil, sherry vinegar, tuna, sliced hard-boiled eggs, and olive oil (be generous with this). Salt to taste; add more vinegar and oil if needed.Chill before eating. Eat within three days, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.Related...This 'Spanish BLT' Recipe Is About To Become Your Favourite Summer Lunch'Swamp Potatoes' Have Gone Viral, And It's The Easiest Slow Cooker Recipe I've SeenI've Tried Over 20 Pavlova Recipes – This Is The Only One That Works Every Time

Comments

Breaking news

An Ancient Ritual May Help To Relieve Exhausting Sleep Condition

Huffpost uk

Comments

Similar News

The fashion editor's pick of the best 50 under £50 new season buys. We've sifted the High Street to find the cream of the crop - they're anti-ageing, flattering, chic... and will sell out fast

Europe begs Trump not to sell out Ukraine: Zelensky and other leaders urge Donald not to give in to Putin's demands... as Russia surges through frontlines and Hungary's PM says 'they've won the war'

Rep. Byron Donalds Pushes D.C. CRIMES Act: We've Been 'Plagued by an Epidemic of Violence'

We paid HMRC thousands to boost our state pensions - months later, we've got no idea where the cash has gone

I've hung out with Oasis - the Gallagher brothers say Scots fans got them signed

I've been to thousands of hotels as an inspector and don't hold back with my brutal verdicts. That's how I know this is the best of all. It has no signs, no reception desk... and you've never heard of it

American in UK tries fish and chips but is told they've 'made a mistake'

The hottest royal you've never heard of' follows in the footsteps of Princes William and Harry with Sandhurst graduation - as his grandmother makes rare appearance at celebrations

As the world's top Maldives expert, I've visited nearly EVERY resort... and can stop you wasting thousands. Here are my hand-picked 25 choices for the best holiday you've ever had. Don't go without reading this first

Princess Beatrice just stepped out in a gorgeous ME+EM floral dress - and we've found it on sale with 50% off

‘The Home Office is forcing me to leave the UK and a job I love to go to a country I’ve never called home’

Bravo Star Jennifer Welch Crushed for Smearing Trump Supporters, 'I've Had It' Podcast X Account Goes into 'Protected' Status

Pete Hegseth: We've Mobilized the National Guard and Have Other 'Specialized' Units Ready to Address D.C. Crime

Man killed on Isle of Sheppey 'was hit over the head with a concrete slab': Girl, 16, and two boys, 14 and 15, are arrested after holidaymaker heard shouts of 'I've done him'

Women reveal why they’ve made the switch to reusable period products

Beauty expert HANNAH BETTS: I've lost track of the times I've been told I smell fantastic. These are the surprising scents you've never heard of that I recommend to every woman over 50...

Edinburgh Fringe luvvies claim 'Oasis effect' is 'catastrophic' as influx of fans sends hotel prices surging... and some moan they've been forced to live in their cars

Like Vick Hope I had my placenta made into tablets; I've saved half of them for when I go through menopause, says Celebs Go Dating star Anna Williamson

‘The Home Office is forcing me to leave the UK and a job I love to go to a country I’ve never called home’

'I'm living in Gaza as it's being bombed - we've forgotten the meaning of safety'

Breaking news

An Ancient Ritual May Help To Relieve Exhausting Sleep Condition

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Warns Trump About 1 Key Putin Tactic Ahead Of Peace Talks

Major incident declared after 5km wildfire nears RAF base in Yorkshire

Trump’s honours list includes a British 70s sitcom actor you may have forgotten

Kate Middleton releases new video celebrating the beauty of British summer

Urgent recall issued for popular Coca-Cola product

Elephant tramples tourist ‘who took its photo with flash on’

Prisoners ‘slaughtered and ate’ guinea pigs while working at animal shelter

Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi charged with three counts of attempted murder

Five things we learned from Trump’s meeting with Zelensky ahead of Putin summit

Charlie Brown and Snoopy offer an animated 'Peanuts' musical about summer camp

Undercover female police pose as joggers to catch catcallers

DNA testing of 1,400-year-old skeletons reveals ethnic diversity of early England

Trump’s approval ratings drop with Republicans as he deals with Epstein fallout and tariff concerns

Struggling to sleep? Your gut bacteria could be to blame

Tory police chief faces backlash over telling public to stop shoplifters

FEMA abruptly disbands youth advisory council, but students say their climate advocacy won't stop

Family of teenage US Navy sailor pay tribute after he was declared lost at sea

Claire’s on brink of collapse with thousands of jobs at risk

Zelensky makes key demand to Trump and Putin ahead of crunch peace talks

The Taliban registers 1,800 unemployed Afghan refugees for jobs in Qatar

Shopping for school supplies becomes a summer activity as families juggle technology and tariffs

Venus Williams gets a US Open wild card at age 45 and will be the oldest in singles since 1981

Air Canada to cancel flights ahead of possible cabin crew strike

Asylum seeker charged with sexually assaulting male while staying at protest-hit Epping hotel

Watch as huge superyacht engulfed in flames off Ibiza coast

A man asked ChatGPT how to remove sodium chloride from his diet. It landed him in the hospital

New draft of plastic pollution treaty would not limit plastic production

Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky had a rap battle. One is claiming victory

Jayla-Jean Mclaren: Pair bailed after murder probe into death of one-year-old girl

Russia restricts calls via WhatsApp and Telegram, the latest step to control the internet

Wildfires in Madrid burn 26 horses to death as record-breaking heatwave sweeps across Europe

Cooper defends live facial recognition expansion amid privacy row

‘Zombie’ rabbits with black horns and mouth tentacles are invading Colorado backyards

Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi charged with attempted murder after attacking prison guards

US and Russia suggest ‘West Bank-style occupation of Ukraine’

Funding boost for community development trust in West Lothian village

'Lonely' gangster taken to court under armed guard 'tired of life of crime and wants to go straight'

New Gaelic plan to launch in Falkirk as numbers using the language grow

NHS Lanarkshire's chief executive visits Kilbryde Hospice

Child sex offender who penned 'paedo manifesto' breaches order after failing to report to cops

Youths chased by cops at Oasis Murrayfield gig after running on top of turnstiles

Most parents argue with kids over smartphones but a new free method could help

Mum feels 'abandoned' and 'forgotten' in horrible East Lothian home

Tech experts issue 'juice jacking' warning to never share your phone charger

Children sobbed as they saw yob smash bottle on man's head in train rammy

Edinburgh Council leader 'frustrated' by Liam Gallagher discussion after comments at final gig

Plans revealed to restore council grass cutting in West Dunbartonshire

Ayrshire nursing home that boasts bar, cafe and hairdressers, sails through latest care provision check

Scottish Water boss handed £50k pay boost as bills soar for customers

Manchester Arena bomb plotter charged with three counts of attempted murder

Man charged with sexual assault of a male after police called to Epping hotel

Typical two-year mortgage deal at low last seen before Liz Truss mini-budget

Over 100 people killed in Gaza in 24 hours, officials say, marking deadliest day in a week

Mirror Daily Digest: Our top stories from Ukraine ceasefire 'viable' to inside 'cruel' Beckham feud

Real reason UK homes don't have air conditioning and how much it costs to run

Beckham feud update as Nicola and Brooklyn turn against his brothers and sister