Piémontaise potato salad

Prepare everything ahead: hard-boil the eggs, make the mayonnaise, chop the parsley, peel the tomatoes, peel the potatoes and keep them in cold water.

Dry the potatoes so they are not slippery. Square them off, cut slices about a centimetre (a bit over a quarter inch) thick, cut those into batonnets, then into cubes; return to cold water.

Cut the ham into cubes the same size as the potato and set aside in a clean container.

Halve the tomatoes, remove the seeds and press out as much juice as possible with a spoon so the mayonnaise does not turn to a liquid sauce; cut into cubes of the same size.

Slice the eggs with an egg slicer (or dice them like the rest).

Start the potatoes in cold water with a decent amount of rock salt; once the boil returns, cook exactly 15 minutes, until they almost crush between the fingers.

Rinse in a sieve under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a big bowl combine the potatoes, ham, gherkin and a little parsley; gently fold in all the mayonnaise.

Add about half the tomatoes, check that the mix stays thick, then the rest. Season with black pepper to taste.

To plate, set a food stacker ring on the plate, fill with a layer of salad, a ring of egg halves, then more salad; press down with the tamper and lift the ring off. Or serve chunky, bistro style, with the eggs mixed in.