The Unconventional Topping Jamie Oliver Uses For Potato Salad

With seemingly no limit on possible combinations, potato salad pairs perfectly with a grilled burger, a slab of freshly smoked ribs, and other meaty dishes. Whether you like a little more egg, a little less mustard, a sprinkling of bacon crumbles, or want to give your potato salad a Tex-Mex twist, it can be a delicious canvas on which to paint.

If you're looking to change up your recipe, celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has a simple, yet effective topping to crank the flavor up a few notches. Potato salad is a favorite side dish of Oliver's, who makes sure his potatoes get plenty of seasoning from the get-go. As he explains in a Facebook video (and in his cookbook "Veg: Easy & Delicious Meals for Everyone"), Oliver tops his potato salad with pickles. And these aren't the kinds commonly found in your grocery store. The chef makes salad-like pickles by hand.

Oliver scores a cucumber with a fork before cutting it into rounds. The slices are joined by onion and quartered radishes in a bowl and mixed with seasonings, herbs (including dill), and a combination of lemon juice and vinegar. The whole bowl is tossed and poured over the potatoes for a flavorful, herbal salad that still offers the familiar crunch and dill flavor of pickles.

In traditional recipes, it's not uncommon to see the addition of dill pickles and sweet pickles for crunch and flavor. But as Jamie Oliver demonstrates, there are all kinds of ways to get creative. Instead of incorporating the vegetable itself, pickle juice can be a game-changer in your potato salad. Aside from its obvious pickle taste, the brine can be infused different flavorful ingredients, such as chili flakes or orange zest, and mixed into your favorite potato salad dressing for an instant burst of flavor.

Those who love the traditional crunch of pickles might consider changing things up a different way. For example, if you're used to dicing up dill pickles in your potato salad, add a touch of heat by using spicy ones instead. Or you can air fry pickle slices to give your salad a topping that's extra crunchy on the outside and still plenty dilly on the inside. You could also keep the fun going in the air fryer by crispy pickle chips with a cheese coating and trying them with your favorite potato salad recipe.