salad of potatoes, celery and bottarga

insalata di patate, sedano e bottarga

for 6

1.5 kg red Roseval potatoes, peeled

300 g bottarga

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons red wine herb vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

2 heads celery, leaves intact, washed

3 large fresh red chillies, washed

juice of 1 lemon

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the potatoes and cook until al dente. Drain and cut into finger lengths. Put in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Shake over the vinegar and drizzle in 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.

Pick the freshest pale leaves from the inside celery stalks, about a large handful. Chop roughly and add to the potatoes. Remove and discard the tough outer stalks from the celery heads, and trim the tops. Cut the remaining stalks at an angle into fine slices across the whole head. Add the slices to the potatoes, and toss together.

Finely slice the whole chillies across at an angle. As you cut, some of the seeds should drop out.

Divide the potato mixture between serving plates, and dot the chilli slices over. Use a catapult-shaped potato peeler to finely shave the bottarga over each plate, and then squeeze lemon juice over the bottarga. Finally drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil.