These salads were both guided to the point where they exist today by a couple of chefs at our restaurant, the Stockpot Kitchen.

They are both delicious on the banquette table, at a picnic, at a high tea, at a low tea, even packed for a camp out with your drunkard mates or, I might add, perfect for an Aussie Christmas.

First up is Bronnie’s potato salad.

This grew from my Nanas potato salad by the hand of Bronnie Brown (not his real name but I have been calling him all sorts of strange things since pussy was a kitten so I’ve kinda forgotten where these nicknames originated or what his real name is). It’s really good and when he wrote the recipe down one of the ingredients he listed was “lots and lots of love” so that made it automatically better.

I’m pretty sure my nana would condone.

BRONNIE’S POTATO SALAD

(for the BBQ table)

1 kg desiree potatoes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ brown onion, small dice
5 eggs, boiled, peeled and chopped
5 dill pickles, small dice
½ cup mayonnaise
1 handful parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper, to season

Dice potato into 2.5 cm chunks and boil or steam for 15 – 20 minutes or until tender when poked with a knife.
Strain potato in colander. Leave for a minute or two to dry out fully.
Put warm potato into a bowl and dress with vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Leave to cool a little.
Add all other ingredients except mayonnaise and combine.
Add mayonnaise and mix well.
You can garnish it with crispy bacon if you don’t have any vegetarian mates coming over, but, well, we always have vegetarian mates coming over.

And now get onto Lefty’s corn salad.

This corn salad was inspired by a salad we ate once at Barbecue Mafia Smoked Meat Co in Brisbane. We spoke of it for many days afterwards until Lefty was smart enough to make a version so that our corn salady desires might be satiated.

Fresh corn and the preserved lemon are what bring this one home.

LEFTY’S CORN SALAD

(for the BBQ table)

4 cups (1 lt) fresh corn kernels (half half frozen and fresh will do the job, and it can certainly be made with frozen corn only, but the texture is just not the same)
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 red onion, finely diced
1 large handful parsley, chopped
1 quarter preserved lemon, pith and flesh removed and discarded, skin finely chopped
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
Oil for cooking

Heat a large heavy based pan over medium-high flame. Add a splash of oil.
Add corn to pan and fry for 3 or so minutes. Move corn around only 2-3 times so that it might get a few little caramelized dark bits on it.
Tip corn into a salad bowl and get it into the fridge pretty quickly to cool for 15 – 20 minutes.
Once corn is cool add parmesan, onion, parsley, preserved lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss to combine.
Add mayonnaise and hot sauce and mix well.
Get that on the table at your next BBQ and get ready for the compliments to come rolling in.