Traditional Russian Holiday Salad: Olivier with Frankfurters
Olivier Salad with Frankfurters – the Holy Grail of Salads for millions of families in Post-Soviet areas. This salad is traditionally prepared for New Year celebration. But I do not see any reason not to make it on a weekday. This Olivier Salad recipe is easy and straightforward. All you need is just prepare ingredients, boil vegetables, cut and mix everything, cover in sauce – and here you are! I have adapted this recipe for our grocery stores and using franks instead of boiled “kolbasa”. This salad is self-sufficient and you can enjoy it on its own, accompany it with a slice of darkest rye bread. Or you can serve Olivier salad as an appetiser followed by main dish.
Olivier Salad with Frankfurters
Olivier Salad with Frankfurters - the classics of Slavic cuisine. Vegetable, eggs and frankfurters all covered in a creamy dressing. Perfect blend of flavours in every bite!
Ingredients
- 5 medium potatoes
- 1 carrot
- 4 eggs
- 5-6 medium sized pickles
- 1 can peas - see in notes *
- 1 pack (350 gr) of frankfurters - see in notes **
- mayo - good quality mayo or homemade. See in notes regarding the amount ***
- sour cream (optional) - for less fatty version substitute half of mayo for low fat sour cream
- pinch of salt - see in notes ****
- pinch of black pepper
- fresh or dried dill, parsley - optional
Instructions
- Wash potatoes and carrots. Place vegetables unpeeled in pot with cold water. Bring it boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook vegetables for approx 20 minutes until you can pierce them with a fork. But be careful not to overcook. Drain the water and rinse vegetables under the cold water for 30 sec - it would cool them down a bit. Set aside to cool completely.
- While vegetables are cooking, boil the eggs. Prepare hard-boiled eggs. When ready - drain the hot water and set the eggs under the cold tap water for some minutes until they are cooled.
- Prepare the large mixing bowl, as it would be more convenient to mix all ingredients in a HUGE bowl. Open the canned peas and drain the water. Place the peas into the bowl and check for their sizes. The rule of thumb here would be that all other ingredients should match in their cut size to the size of peas. It would provide more pleasant texture of Olivier Salad.
- Cut pickles and frankfurters in small cubes, add to the bowl with peas.
- Check if vegetables and eggs are cooled enough. Peel the ingredients, cut into cubes eggs. carrots and potatoes. Add all to the mixing bowl.
- In another bowl combine 1 part of mayo and 1 part of sour cream. Gradually start adding the sauce to the salad, mixing all ingredients together. You can add more or less sauce, depending on how you would like your salad to be. Using sour cream is optional, but it would make the salad less heavier on calories.
- Add pinch of black pepper, fresh or dried parsley or dill. Combine all ingredients together, making sure it all mixed through and everything is covered in mayo. Check for salt before adding it - sometimes the mayo itself is salty enough. Adjust the salt as you like.
- Cover the salad with cling film and let it stay in fridge for 30 minutes. It would also be tastier on the next day, so do not rush eating all in one seating. This salad can be served as an appetizer or as a main dish, as it is well self-sufficient. Add some toasted rye bread when serving.
Notes
* What peas to use in the salad? - The one with added sugar. It might seem not to be very healthy addition to the Olivier salad, but peas plays a big role. Use conserved (canned) peas with added sugar, as it brings a bit of sweetness that goes well with savoury tastes of salad. I usually use Freshona Garden Peas from Lidl.
** What Frankfurters to use? - It is up to you and your wishes. You can use the smoked or go with plain, choose from chicken or pork. I am using Dulano pork Franks (unsmoked) from Lidl, Aldi has smoked Frankfurters if you prefer smoky touch.
*** How much mayo to add? - That is again up to you and your salad eaters. I know people who admire when all the ingredients are floating in mayo dressing. But I also know who like it rather skinny. Start from small amount of mayo and sour cream, mix it in and see if you need more to be added. Remember, that potatoes absorb sauce well, so it might be needed to add more dress over time.
**** How much salt to add? - Again, start with small amount of salt, taste and adjust if needed. Mayo is salty, as well as frankfurters and pickles, so no much salt is needed. It would be very sad if the salad would become too salty.
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