Olivier Salad

Although it is widely believed that this salad originated in Spain, it’d be unfair to obscure its true origins.

Ensaladilla Olivier .
Although it is widely believed that this salad originated in Spain, it’d be unfair to obscure its true origins.
As with many dishes from abroad that are now considered staples of Catalan cuisine, this particular cold salad is one of the most famous Russian imports known to Western European gastronomy.
It was the French Chef Lucien Olivier who first brought the ingredients together in Moscow (1860). The original version was prepared with expensive, seasonal ingredients like lobster, pheasant, quail, caviar, capers, broth gelatin, crab tails, and beef tongue. When those ingredients were scarce, they were replaced with more accessible ones-those that were available to the broader population throughout the year.
As the salad traveled westward, it was adapted to the particular tastes of each country.
However, a few things remained constant: it was always served cold and contained small, chopped vegetables (raw and boiled), with mayonnaise used as a binder.

TRADITIONS

Although Russian salad could certainly be the main course, in Spain, and particularly in Catalonia, it grew popular as an appetizer, as such, it’s customary to eat the salad in small portions, that is, as a tapa. If served as a main, Russian salad is often garnished with roasted red pepper, hard-boiled egg, olives, or anchovies.

45 min

Ingredients

3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes 3 medium
carrots, peeled and diced

4 large eggs

½ lb. frozen baby green peas (hard-boiled eggs)
½ lb. green beans, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 jar tuna ventresca packed in olive oil, drained, flaked with a fork and cut into 1-inch pieces 20 pitted arbequina olives
Kosher salt
Water
8-10 Tbsp. mayonnaise

FOR THE MAYONNAISE

2 eggs
1 cup mild olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Kosher salt
1 pinch white pepper, freshly ground

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1.
Cover the potatoes, carrot, and green beans in cold water, bring to a boil for 10 min.

Step 2.
Add the peas, boil for another 5 minutes. Strain the vegetables.

Step 3.
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes.

Step 4.
Place the sunflower oil, salt, egg yolk, lemon juice, in an immersion blender cup. Beat the mixture without moving the blender. When the mixture begins to thicken, move the blender around, slowly, while adding a thin stream of olive oil with the other hand.

Step 5.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, bind everything together with the mayonnaise, chill for 3 hours.

Olivier Salad

TRADITIONS

FOR THE MAYONNAISE

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