Potato salad

Serves 4
Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut them into cubes of the same size. Bring a pot of water to the boil. Salt the boiling water, add the frozen peas, then after one minute add the potatoes and after 2 minutes add the carrots. Cook for a further 7 minutes, bearing in mind that the vegetables should remain firm. Drain well and leave to cool down completely.
In the meantime, put an egg in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil, then cook for 9 minutes. After this time, drain and put the egg under cold running water to stop it cooking. Peel and slice the egg. Also slice the gherkins into strips.
Take the cold vegetables and add the mayonnaise. Stir gently until the mayonnaise is evenly distributed.
Place the potato salad on a dish, decorate it with the slices of hard-boiled eggs and gherkins, then let it stand in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. This dish is great served with toasted focaccia or as a filling for vol-au-vents.