Russian Salad Olivier
Like potato salad but more! The Russian variation, called “Olivier” is a beauty of a salad, with diced bits of surprising yet harmonious apple, pickle and ham.
Who was the first to combine potato with mayo or oil to create a salad that must be enjoyed in some form in most cuisines of the world. Universally popular, It never seems to go out of style because it is so delicious!
This is a nod to the Russian interpretation, which I first sampled in Israel no doubt due to the many Russians who immigrated to their promised land. The most obvious difference in this version compared to a traditional American potato salad, is the addition of carrots, peas and in some recipes, meat.
The creation of the Olivier salad is credited to a man of the same name, Lucien Olivier, who would be happy to know that it is also popular in other post-Soviet countries and around the world.
In different modern recipes, it is usually made with diced boiled potatoes, carrots, and dill pickles, together with optional vegetable or fruit ingredients such as green peas, eggs, celery, onions and apples. Optional meat ingredients might include boiled chicken cured sausage, ham, or even hot dogs. Not forgetting the essential ingredient…more mayonnaise, please!
Russian Salad Olivier
3 medium potatoes
1 package frozen diced carrots and peas, thawed (1 1/2 cups)
3 eggs, hard-boiled, cooled and peeled
1/2 pound deli-sliced ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small dill pickle, diced
1 small English cucumber, diced with skin on
1/2 small red onion or 5 green onions, diced
1/2 Granny Smith apple or other tart apple, diced with skin on
1 - 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
3 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
red cabbage leaves and fresh chives or green onions for garnish
-Cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until fork tender - about 30 - 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely and then peel. Cut potatoes into 1/4 - 1/2 inch diced pieces. Place diced potatoes in a large mixing bowl.
-Dice the eggs, pickle, onion, apple and cucumber in the same size pieces as the potato then add to the bowl. Add the ham and thawed peas and carrots to the other ingredients.
-In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar. Spoon over vegetables in the bowl and stir until well combined. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
-Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
-If desired, place large red cabbage leaves around the sides of a large open salad bowl. Spoon the salad into the center of the cabbage leaves. Garnish the top with thin strips of red cabbage and fresh chives, or vertically sliced 2-inch sections of green onion . (Optionally, mound salad on the center of a large open bowl or platter. Garnish with chives and reserve chopped boiled egg.)
Combine diced vegetables with mayo, mustard and garlic.
Granny apples are an interesting tart bite and the bits of ham go deliciously with the potatoes and mayo.
A lovely, slightly unique addition to you lunch or dinner menu!
Serve in a bowl lined with red cabbage leaves and garnished with strips of cabbage and green onion.
