Serves 2 (with leftover aioli) 

For the potatoes: 

• 500g jersey royal potatoes 

• Olive oil 

• Sea salt 

For the wild garlic aioli: 

• 1 large egg yolk 

• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard 

• White wine vinegar, as needed  

• Table salt  

• 180 ml oil (I like a mix of 2/3rds vegetable oil, 1/3rd extra virgin olive oil. Use all vegetable if you want the neutral flavour.) 

• About 6 big wild garlic leaves (or a handful of fresh chives), chopped 

Method:

Firstly, preheat your oven to 190C / 170 fan / gas mark 5. Bring a filled steamer saucepan of water up to the boil. (If you don’t have a steamer saucepan, you can boil the potatoes instead). Meanwhile, gently wash your potatoes clean of any dirt (mind the fragile skins). Steam the potatoes until tender when pierced with a knife — about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and dry slightly. 

Spread the potatoes out on a baking tray and toss with olive oil and sea salt. Make sure not to crowd the tray too much or the potatoes will take longer to brown.  

Roast for 20 minutes. Shake the pan to redistribute the potatoes, then bake for 5-10 minutes more or until evenly browned and puffy in their skins.  

While the potatoes are roasting, make the aioli. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and mustard. Working slowly, whisk in the oil a few teaspoons at a time, only adding more when fully emulsified. If the mix becomes too thick, thin it out with a little of the vinegar. Once all the oil has been added, taste and adjust the mayonnaise with more vinegar / mustard, and season with a pinch of table salt.  

In a pestle and mortar, bash up your chopped wild garlic (or chives) until bruised, fragrant, and releasing liquid. Scrape this out into the mayonnaise and stir through to fully combine into aioli.  

 To serve, tumble the potatoes onto a serving platter and place a small bowl of the aioli alongside. If you like, serve with simply steamed green veg (such as tenderstem broccoli or asparagus), or with a sharply-dressed side salad.