Olivier salad was originally a dish of the author's cuisine, with a recipe carefully guarded by the creator, the chef of the Hermitage restaurant. The appetizer came to the liking of gourmets, became popular, and then experienced a "rebirth", being included in the menu of the Soviet public catering in a highly simplified form. Modern housewives strive to return "Olivier" to "the same" taste, using ingredients such as game, caviar or shrimp.
Olivier salad with shrimps
This version of the salad is closest to the "Soviet" "Olivier", better known in the West as "Russian". You will need:
- 3 medium potatoes;
- 3 medium carrots;
- 2 medium-sized fresh cucumbers;
- 2 pickles;
- 500 grams of peeled large fresh frozen shrimp;
- 200 grams of canned peas;
- 4 chicken eggs;
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill;
- mayonnaise;
- salt.
Wash potato tubers and carrots, boil in peel until tender, cool and peel. Cut into medium cubes. Boil eggs hard-boiled, also peel and chop. Put the shrimps in boiling water for 5-7 minutes, then drain the excess liquid and cool. Set a few shrimp aside to decorate the dish, cut the rest into pieces. Try a fresh cucumber slice, and if the skin is too bitter, cut it off. Otherwise, cut both fresh and pickles into cubes the same size as potatoes and carrots. Place all ingredients in a bowl, season with mayonnaise and salt, add dill and stir. Garnish with shrimp on top.
You can serve the Olivier salad in portions. For this, as a rule, use wide bowls or special removable rings.
Spanish Style Olivier Salad Recipe
In Spain, Olivier salad is prepared not only with shrimps, but also with canned tuna, and pickles are replaced with savory capers. To prepare such a dish, take:
- 4 medium potatoes;
- 3 medium carrots;
- 300 grams of frozen green peas;
- 1 tablespoon of capers;
- 250 grams of tuna canned in its own juice;
- 300 grams of small fresh frozen shrimp;
- 2 chicken eggs;
- 160 ml of olive oil;
- 5 ml of wine vinegar;
- salt and pepper.
You can add a little onion or chopped green onions, parsley, diced bell peppers to the "Olivier" with shrimps.
Boil potatoes and carrots. Peel and cut into medium cubes. Boil one hard-boiled egg. Peel and slice. Boil about 500 ml of water, put frozen peas in boiling water, cook for 2-3 minutes, then put in a colander and rinse with cold water. Dry. Put the shrimps in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain the liquid from them and put the seafood in a salad bowl. Add peas, vegetables, capers, egg. Squeeze out the excess liquid from the canned tuna and place it in the salad as well. Divide the remaining raw egg into yolk and white. Beat the yolk with vinegar and a pinch of salt, gradually, while whisking, pour in the olive oil. Season the salad with the resulting mayonnaise.
