Salad Olivier

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Possibly the original Russian salad upon which the Spanish Ensaladilla Rusa may be based. It is named after one of Tsar Nicholas II's chefs.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, peeled and cubed
• Salt
• 225 g young carrots, diced
• 340 g firm potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 240 g young beetroot, peeled and cubed
• 340 g cooked chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 225 g ham, diced
• 6 spring onions, chopped
• 240 ml mayonnaise
• 240 ml sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dill, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered

Mise en place

• Sprinkle the cucumber with salt and allow to drain for 30 minutes.

Method

1. In three separate pans, boil the carrots, potatoes and beetroot until just cooked.
2. Drain, cool, pat dry and mix the carrots and potatoes with the chicken, ham and cucumber and spring onions.
3. Stir in the mayonnaise, cream, dill and parsley.
4. Garnish with the egg quarters and beetroot.

Chef's notes

If you mix the beetroot in at the beginning, it will 'bleed' into the rest of the salad.