Classic Olivier Salad
⏳ Time
3 hours + 15 hours
🥕 Ingredients
12
🍽️ Servings
8
Description
It's somewhat awkward to discuss which recipe is considered classic when it comes to Olivier salad. This is because the salad created by a French (or Belgian—there are even discrepancies here) chef named Louis Olivier for a Moscow restaurant called 'The Hermitage' has not been accurately archived anywhere. The author did not write it down on a napkin or in a notebook—nowhere at all. Some people claim to have seen something, while others say they stood behind him while Olivier was chopping vegetables. But there are no exact details. Therefore, in this case, the classic version refers not to the pre-revolution recipe with game, woodcock, and crayfish tails, but to the Soviet version with boiled meat and mayonnaise. This is the salad our grandmothers and mothers prepared for New Year's, and our goal is to reproduce that childhood taste. Here is the most canonical of the existing recipes, with all the details and without later additions like green apples, fresh cucumbers, or sour cream dressing.
Ingredients
- Potato - 3 pieces
- Carrot - 3 pieces
- Chicken Egg - 5 pieces
- Canned Mushroom Soup - 15 oz
- Beef - 20 oz
- Pickled Cauliflower - 5 pieces
- Spanish onions - 1 head
- Scallions - 5 pieces
- Dill - 1 bunch
- Mayonnaise - 10 oz
- Salt - to taste
- Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Step by Step guide
Step 1
First, you should boil the meat, and it's best to do this in advance. Bring 1.5 to 2 liters of salted water to a boil in a pot and add the meat. The water should cover the meat by about 3 to 4 cm, so you won't need to add more during the cooking process, while also ensuring that there isn't too much water, allowing all the flavors of the meat to remain in the broth.
Step 2
Immediately reduce the heat, bring the water to a boil, and simmer the meat gently for about 1.5 hours. Then allow the meat to cool in the broth and place the pot in the refrigerator until you're ready to slice the salad.
Step 3
Boil the vegetables. Place a large pot on the stove and fill it with water about 2/3 full. In the meantime, thoroughly wash the potatoes and carrots with a brush, leaving the skins on. When the water comes to a boil, add the vegetables, reduce the heat, and cook for about 30–40 minutes.
Step 4
Check the doneness of the vegetables by poking the largest ones with a toothpick — it should slide easily into the flesh.
Step 5
Drain the water; you can cool the potatoes directly in the pot, but it's better to transfer the carrots to cold water immediately to preserve their color.
Step 6
Boil the eggs separately: place them in cold water, bring to a boil, and after 1 minute, reduce the heat. Cook for 7–8 minutes, no longer, to avoid overcooking, as this will cause the yolk to turn gray and the white to become rubbery.
Step 7
Immediately transfer the eggs to cold water, let them sit, and then peel.
Step 8
Start assembling the salad. Peel the potatoes and carrots, then cut them into 5 mm cubes.
Step 9
Cut the eggs and beef into the same-sized cubes (remove any sinews and fat from the meat).
Step 10
Chop the onion into small cubes.
Step 11
Finely chop the green onions and dill.
Step 12
Mix all the prepared ingredients together, season with pepper, dress with mayonnaise, and place in the refrigerator. The salad will taste better if you let it sit for at least 12 hours.
Step 13
Cut the pickles in half; if the seeds are large, remove them. Then, dice the pickles into cubes the same size as the potatoes and carrots, place them in a separate container, and refrigerate.
Step 14
Just before serving, open the can of peas, drain its contents in a colander, let the liquid drip off, and add the peas to the salad. Also, add the chopped pickles.
Step 15
Mix the salad, taste it, and if needed, add salt and pepper to your liking.
Cooked This Dish? Share Your Delicious Creation with the Community! 🥰
Snap a photo and let everyone see your culinary masterpiece. Inspire others and showcase your skills!
Users Photos
No photos yet
Leave a Comment
Please log in to leave a comment.