This salad, very popular and seen on tables all over Europe, is of Russian origin. Each country has its own way of preparing it. The Spanish version is interesting in that it contains tuna fish. In other places, chopped pieces of ham or turkey get the nod. The Greeks prefer a vegetarian version, possibly because they are of the opinion (quite a sensible one, I must say), that salad should include nothing else but vegetables and dressing.
What is called Russian Salad today, started out as Olivier Salad; it was the invention of Lucien Olivier, a nineteenth-century chef who owned The Hermitage, a famous and exclusive restaurant in Moscow. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ivan Turgenev, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Maxim Gorky ... they had celebratory dinners at The Hermitage!
The original recipe for Olivier Salad does not survive; we are told that it was a rich mixture containing vegetables, goose, various other meats, and also on occasion, caviar.
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| The scene of the crime: The Hermitage Restaurant, Moscow. The building survives still, and currently, it houses the School of Modern Drama |
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| Interior of The Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. |
Fortunately, the amount of mayo used has been toned down of late ... Below is presented a good Greek version of Russian salad.
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| For a festive occasion, this Russian Salad was decorated with roasted red peppers and one green tomato (not fried, lol!). A simple yet bright presentation! |
Ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen peas, no need to cook them
2 medium carrots cut in half
3 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
3 eggs, hardboiled and chopped (best to use the whites only)
2 scallions diced
2 or 3 cornichons diced
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
3 eggs, hardboiled and chopped (best to use the whites only)
2 scallions diced
2 or 3 cornichons diced
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
some vegetables for decoration
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic cut in half
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic cut in half
1 small whole onion, peeled and studded with two cloves
For the Dill and Caper Mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons capers rinsed and dried, then chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped and dried
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Simple: To the mayonnaise add the capers, dill, Dijon mustard and lemon zest. Mix well. Or, if you are ever so diligent, make a mayonnaise from scratch and proceed from there!
Directions for the salad:
Each vegetable must be cooked individually until tender but not mushy. It's important to allow all the vegetables to cool down prior to mixing.
For the Dill and Caper Mayonnaise:
2 tablespoons capers rinsed and dried, then chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped and dried
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
zest of one lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Simple: To the mayonnaise add the capers, dill, Dijon mustard and lemon zest. Mix well. Or, if you are ever so diligent, make a mayonnaise from scratch and proceed from there!
Directions for the salad:
Each vegetable must be cooked individually until tender but not mushy. It's important to allow all the vegetables to cool down prior to mixing.
- In a medium pot bring some lightly salted water to a boil. Add the bay leaves, whole onion and garlic.
- Add the carrots and potatoes to the liquid. Check the vegetable and using a slotted spoon, remove them from the pot when they are tender. Transfer the vegetables to a colander so that they can drain. Leave them in the colander until they are cool enough to handle.
- When all the vegetables are cooked, discard the liquid, bay leaves, onion, and garlic.
- Cut the potatoes into slices and dice the carrots. Season with the lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper.
- Add the peas, cornichons, scallions, and parsley. Toss gently.
- Cover the mixture and let cool in the refrigerator for about an hour.
- Add the chopped eggs (or egg whites).
- Fold the mayonnaise into the vegetables and place the salad in a serving bowl or, for a nicer presentation, mould it into a nice shape and decorate it with slices of roasted peppers tomatoes and olives.
- If you like, use other vegetables for decoration; make it look as fancy or as simple as you want!
- This is a traditional choice for an accompaniment to New Year's dinner.
Russian salad on a bed of greens! A great meal!!!
