Old-Fashioned Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 4 ½ cups (450 g) elbow macaroni
• 1 ⅛ cups (250 g) mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar, 1 tbsp yellow mustard and 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp sweet pickle relish (or finely chopped sweet gherkins)
• 3 celery sticks (about 150 g), finely diced
• ½ small red onion and ½ red pepper (or 4 tbsp pimento), finely chopped
• 2–3 tbsp milk, ¾ tsp fine salt, ¼ tsp black pepper and paprika to finish

Method

1. Boil. Cook the macaroni in plenty of well-salted boiling water for 1 minute longer than the packet's al dente time — about 8–9 minutes. Cold firms pasta, so slightly soft now is exactly right later.
2. Rinse. Drain and rinse briefly under cold water to stop the cooking and wash off the starch, then leave in the colander until just slightly warm — not fridge-cold.
3. Whisk. Stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, ¾ tsp salt and the pepper together, and loosen with 2 tbsp milk to a pourable cream.
4. Dress warm. Toss the slightly warm macaroni with about three-quarters of the dressing — warm pasta drinks in the flavor. Cover the rest and put it in the fridge.
5. Fold. Fold in the celery, onion, red pepper (or pimento) and relish.
6. Chill and refresh. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours. Just before serving, stir through the reserved dressing — plus a splash of milk if needed — taste for salt and vinegar, and dust with paprika.