Let’s start this conversation with a deceptively simple yet potentially polarising question. How do you prefer your potato salad?  Dressed with mayonnaise? Or vinaigrette?  On the subject of this summer barbecue and picnic staple, our household is steadfastly, almost irrevocably divided into two very opposing camps.

To keep everyone happy, I now provide a rotation of two very different types of potato salad. The first, a traditional mayonnaise based offering made with boiled potatoes with bacon, spring onion and parsley add-ins. And this, the newer kid on the block. A fresher, lighter vinaigrette dressed roast potato and onion version. Heady with summery flavours of lemon, garlic and mint.

The common denominator in both? A liberal, not too heavy handed, douse of Dijon mustard. I know which one I personally prefer. And to my resident I can’t-do-potato-salad-without-mayo aficionados? Please try this at least once without gracing the table with a superfluous squeeze bottle of mayonnaise.

Roast Potato Salad With Fresh Mint And A Lemon Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette
Serves 6 generously

For The Potato Salad

1 kg Dutch Cream potatoes, well scrubbed
2 medium red onions, peeled and sliced into eighths
8 garlic cloves, unpeeled
finely grated zest of one lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small bunch mint, leaves removed from stem and shredded

For The Dijon Mustard Vinaigrette

4 tablespoons olive oil
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

IN A LARGE saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt  and bring to a rapid boil over high heat.
PAR-BOIL over medium heat until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and allow to cool slightly before slicing into quarters. Set aside.
MEANWHILE preheat oven to 180 C. Pour 4 tablespoons olive oil into a roasting tin, large enough to hold the quartered potatoes and onion wedges in a single layer. Place tin into oven for 5-10 minutes to heat up.
REMOVE hot roasting tin from oven. Carefully add quartered par boiled potatoes, red onion wedges and whole, unpeeled garlic cloves; turning gently with a spatula to ensure they are well coated with hot oil. Scatter over finely grated lemon zest.
ROAST in hot oven for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are crisp and golden. Remove from oven and transfer to a large salad bowl.
WHISK together olive oil, lemon juice and mustard in a small bowl until well emulsified. Season with sea salt and pepper.
POUR dressing over the hot potato mixture. Toss well to combine. Set aside for ten or so minutes to cool a little before adding fresh shredded mint. Delicious served warm or cold.