Papas mayo — the Chilean barbecue potato salad with homemade mayonnaise
Papas mayo in 45 minutes: potatoes boiled in their skins, cubed and folded warm into a homemade lemon mayonnaise with spring onion and parsley. How to keep them from falling apart, a mayonnaise that does not split, and how much to make per person for the barbecue.
Ingredients
- For the potatoes:
- For the homemade mayonnaise:
- View card
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
-
Boil the potatoes in their skins
Put the whole, unpeeled potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water and add the coarse salt. Bring to the boil and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, until a knife slides in without resistance but the potato is still whole. Boiling them in their skins stops them soaking up water and falling apart. Drain and let them cool for 10 minutes, just enough to handle.
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Make the mayonnaise
While the potatoes cook, put the egg, mustard, lemon juice and salt in the jug of a stick blender, then pour all the oil on top. Rest the blender on the bottom, switch on at full power without moving it for 15 seconds (you will see it emulsify from the bottom up), then raise it slowly until all the oil is incorporated. It should be thick and pale. Adjust salt and lemon. Without a stick blender: in a regular blender, egg and seasonings first, then the oil in a thin stream with the motor running.
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Peel and cube the potatoes
Peel the warm potatoes with your hands or a small knife (the skin slips off) and cut into 2 cm cubes. Do not cut them piping hot, when they break, nor fully cold, when they no longer absorb the dressing. Put them in a large bowl.
-
Fold in the mayonnaise and spring onion
Add the spring onion, parsley, pepper and two thirds of the mayonnaise. Fold with a spatula from the bottom up so the cubes stay whole. Add the rest of the mayonnaise only if the salad needs it: it should be creamy with the cubes still visible, not a paste.
-
Chill and serve
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving: the salad firms up and the spring onion mellows. Take it out 15 minutes before it goes to the table. Serve cold, as a side for the barbecue, anticuchos or choripán, next to the ensalada chilena.
Foodtastico Tip
Boil the potatoes the day before and keep them peeled and whole in the fridge; the next day cube and dress them with freshly made mayonnaise 1 hour before serving. They stay firm and the mayonnaise does not spend the night in the salad.
Nutrition information
| Calories | 380 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 5 g |
| Carbs | 34 g |
| Sugars | 2 g |
| Fat | 25 g |
| Trans fat | 0 g |
Values per serving (1 of 4).
Frequently asked questions
Why do the potatoes in my salad fall apart?
Three reasons that add up: floury potatoes (the mashing kind), boiled peeled and cut, and mixed while hot. Use waxy potatoes (salad or all-purpose with smooth skins), boil them whole in their skins so they do not soak up water, and cut and dress them warm, not hot. And fold with a spatula rather than stirring round and round with a spoon.
Can I use shop-bought mayonnaise?
Yes, and that is what many homes do on the 18th for speed: 200 g of jarred mayonnaise with a tablespoon of lemon juice and pepper to lift it. Homemade is lighter, sharper and less sweet, and the difference shows in a salad where mayonnaise is the only dressing. If you make it yourself, use it the same day or the next: it contains raw egg and does not keep more than 48 hours in the fridge.
Why does homemade mayonnaise split, and how do I fix it?
It splits when the oil goes in too fast or the egg is fridge-cold. With a stick blender resting on the bottom it almost never fails; in a regular blender, the oil goes in a thin stream. If it split, put a tablespoon of warm water or a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and add the split mayonnaise a spoonful at a time while blending: it emulsifies again.
How much papas mayo per person for a barbecue?
As one of two or three sides, 150-200 g of raw potato per person (this recipe with 800 g serves 4 generously). If it is the only side with the meat, go up to 250 g. For 10 people: 2 kg of potatoes, 2 eggs and 400 ml of oil for the mayonnaise. Same pot; it only takes 10 minutes longer to boil.
What else can go into papas mayo?
The usual Chilean variations: chopped hard-boiled egg, cooked peas and carrot (the ensalada rusa), chopped celery for crunch, or a drizzle of olive oil and chives instead of spring onion. Some homes add extra mustard or gherkins. The base of potato + mayonnaise + something green is what does not change.
How long does papas mayo keep?
With homemade mayonnaise, 2 days covered in the fridge; with shop-bought, up to 3. Never leave it more than 2 hours out of the fridge at a barbecue in the sun: egg mayonnaise is among the foods that spoil fastest. Bring it to the table in batches and return the rest to the cold. It does not freeze.
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