Hot new potato salad with hard-boiled eggs

Method

1. Cut any large potatoes in half, then put them all in a large pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until they are tender – if you carefully poke a skewer or knife into the potatoes, it should glide in easily. Ask an adult to help you drain the potatoes, put them back in the pan and put the lid on to keep them warm.
2. Meanwhile, heat the grill until hot. Put the bacon on a rack in a grill pan and grill for 3-4 minutes, then turn the rashers over and grill for a few minutes until crisp. Cool slightly, then using scissors, snip the bacon into small pieces.
3. To cook your eggs, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Carefully add the eggs to the pan and boil for 7 minutes – the whites will be cooked and the yolks should still be very slightly soft. Ask an adult to help you drain them, then pour cold water over the eggs. When cool enough to handle, tap them on the work surface to crack the shells and peel them. Cut the eggs into quarters.
4. Using scissors, cut the beans or asparagus spears in half. Steam them for 4-5 minutes until just cooked – they should still be a little crunchy.
5. Put the potatoes, bacon, eggs and beans into a big bowl. To make the dressing, snip the herbs (if you’re using them) into small pieces with scissors. Mix the other dressing ingredients with the herbs and a little salt and pepper and pour over the potatoes, bacon, eggs and beans. Serve with a few handfuls of dressed salad leaves, if you like.