This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how different countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
I must’ve been a bad boy this year. The equivalent of getting coal in your stocking would be having to eat this salad on Christmas day. Ok, it’s not THAT bad, but I don’t understand why Belarusians would have this dish, in the middle of winter, and reserve it for a special occasion. This seems more apropos of a side salad at a summer picnic. Last time I checked, Belarus is clearly not in the Southern hemisphere, and it’s a “balmy” 33 degrees in Minsk as I type this. Poor Evan Neumann - couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy, I guess.
Olivier Salad
2-3 potatoes
2 large carrots, peeled
4 eggs
⅓ cup frozen peas
4 large dill pickle spears
½ sweet onion
½ lb cooked ham (you can substitute chicken)
⅓ large English cucumber
Mayonnaise
Dill
Place the unpeeled potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. When at a full boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook for about 25 minutes, adding in the carrots after about 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, cover the eggs in a pot with water and bring to a boil. When at a full boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Leave the pot covered for 10 minutes. Remove the boiled eggs and place in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Place the frozen peas in the hot water and swirl for about a minute, then drain and reserve.
While the potatoes, carrots and eggs are boiling, petite dice the pickles and squeeze between paper towels to remove excess liquid. Place in a small colander over a bowl to allow them to drain further. Petite dice the onion, ham (or chicken), and cucumber and place in a large bowl.
Mince about ⅓ cup of fresh dill and reserve.
Peel and finely dice the eggs and potatoes along with the carrots and add to the bowl. Add in the drained pickles and reserved peas.
Stir in about ⅓ cup of mayonnaise and season with salt, pepper, and about 2 tbsp of the minced dill. You may need to add a bit more mayonnaise, but do so sparingly.
Serve and sprinkle with any remaining dill. ______________________________
Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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