Recipe of the Month - Russian Potato Salad
From Smashed, Mashed, Boiled and Baked by Raghavan Iyer.
Serves 4
For the Salad
- 1½ pounds new red potatoes
- 6 medium-size to large red radishes, scrubbed, trimmed, and thinly sliced
- 4 ribs celery, leaves discarded, thinly sliced
- 1 large English cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeds discarded, and thinly sliced
- 4 scallions, beards trimmed, green tops and white bulbs thinly sliced
- ¼ cup baby capers, drained
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh dill
- ½ cup finely chopped fresh chives
For the Dressing
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarsely cracked black peppercorns
Instructions
- To make the salad, scrub the potatoes well under running water, cut them in half, and place them in a medium-size saucepan. Cover them with cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Briskly boil the potatoes, uncovered, until they are just tender but still firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Take care not to overcook the potatoes.
- Drain the potatoes in a colander and rinse them under cold running water to cool them down. Give the colander a few good shakes to rid the potatoes of excess water, and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the radishes, celery, cucumber, scallions, capers, dill, and chives to the potatoes.
- To make the dressing, place the anchovy fillets, egg yolks, mustard, and garlic in a blender jar and puree, turning off the blender and scraping the inside of the jar as needed, until smooth. Combine the two oils together in a small bowl. With the blender on low speed, drizzle the oils through the hole in the cover in a steady stream. Once the oils are added, you will have a thick emulsion, which is your own homemade mayonnaise. Add the Worcestershire, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and peppercorns and pulse the dressing to ensure a smooth mix.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and give it all a good toss. Serve at room temperature, but because this is a mayonnaise-based salad, do not leave it at room temperature for long periods of time.
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