Olivier salad: a Russian New Year’s classic

December 22, 2009 in Recipes · 4 comments

I’ve decided to start posting some of my recipes on this site, and, since New Year’s is just around the corner, it seemed fitting to begin with the dish that has been a staple of the Russian holiday table for decades and is a must at every New Year’s celebration. If you are from Russia or the former Soviet Union, you know that I am talking about Olivier salad.

This salad is named for its creator, Lucien Olivier, a 19th-century Belgian chef who ran the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. His original recipe called for ingredients like grouse, caviar, and capers, which became either very expensive or completely unavailable during the Soviet times and were eventually replaced with cheaper and easier-to-obtain basics like potatoes, eggs, and peas. Even though the contemporary version shares virtually no ingredients with Olivier’s invention, it continues to bear his name and remains extremely popular in Russia, which is really not surprising because it is so easy and inexpensive to make – and so very tasty!

The basic components of this salad – as it is made today – are potatoes, eggs, carrots, peas, and mayonnaise. The majority of Russians will also agree that either pickled or fresh cucumbers must be included. Beyond that, there is wide disagreement. Most people add some kind of meat – my mom and grandmother have always used boiled beef; others swear by boiled chicken, bologna, salami, or hot dogs. Other optional – and controversial – ingredients include raw onions and apples. In the 1990′s, when canned corn became available in Russia, some cooks started adding it to the salad. I am sure that there are many other variations on Olivier that I am not aware of. If you have a favorite one, let me know!

What follows is a recipe that I put together based on my mom’s and grandma’s way of making this salad, which is also the way I make it. Like many Russian home cooks, they never followed a specific written recipe, and, like them, I don’t normally measure out the ingredients when I make Olivier at home. Instead, I like to play it by ear – or, rather, by eye, starting with a few potatoes and eggs and adding carrots, peas, and pickles until I am satisfied with the color balance – a healthy amount of orange and green against the creamy whites and yellows. Then I add the mayo – not so much that the vegetables drown in it, but a good amount that will moisten and bind the salad. Below the Olivier recipe, I am posting instructions for making Russian-style mayonnaise out of regular American mayo. Give it a try – I think it really makes a difference for both taste and texture.

I encourage you to experiment with this salad and create a version that works for you. Play with the ingredient amounts, leave out something you don’t like, add something unusual. I’d love to hear what you come up with!

Olivier salad

Ingredients

5 medium to large potatoes, boiled whole with the skin on until tender (It is best to use a low- or medium-starch variety, such as red, white or yellow potatoes. High-starch potatoes, such as Russets, are OK too but be sure not to overcook them and to mix your salad carefully, or they will turn into mush. In Russia potatoes for salad are usually boiled, but you can also steam or microwave them.)

4 hard-boiled eggs

4 pickled cucumbers (cucumbers that are fermented in brine (such as half sour pickles) rather than pickled in vinegar will result in a more traditional taste)

3 medium to large carrots, boiled whole (or cut in two-three pieces) with the skin on until tender

1 can peas, drained

¾ to 1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Russian-style – see recipe below)

Salt to taste

Optional: 1 cup of cooked meat or meat product such as beef, chicken, bologna, salami, or hot dogs

Preparation

Peel the potatoes, the carrots, and the eggs. Dice potatoes, carrots, eggs, and pickles (and the meat/meat product, if using) into ½ inch cubes. Put the diced ingredients in a large mixing bowl along with peas and mayo. Mix carefully, taking care not to crush the peas too much. Taste and add salt if needed. Transfer to a serving bowl and decorate with chopped parsley, if desired. Mayonnaise and salt should be added shortly before serving, so if you are not planning to serve the entire quantity of Olivier right away, do not dress/season your leftovers until they are ready to be eaten.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer

* * *

Russian-style mayonnaise

Russian mayonnaise has a somewhat bolder flavor than American mayonnaise. It is also thinner, with a consistency that is similar to cake batter. Although I’ve found that American mayo works all right in Russian recipes, I suggest trying the following modification for a more authentic taste:

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise (preferably full-fat)

1 tbsp sugar

¾ tbsp vinegar

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp hot mustard

Preparation

Whisk all the ingredients together until thoroughly blended and sugar is dissolved.

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