French Salad (Vegetarian Olivier Salad)

It is a Russian national dish and they call it the Olivier Salad. Eastern Europe, where this is a traditional New Year's side dish, calls it the Russian Salad. Central Europe, however calls it the French Salad. It was invented in 1860 by Lucien Olivier, a Belgian Chef and owner of the Hermitage Restaurant in Moscow. Original  salad was a very complex ensemble of expensive ingredients. But the key to the recipe, secret Provençale dressing, Olivier took with him to his grave. At the turn of the century enterprising Russians adapted the dish for mass production, cutting out the luxuries and replacing the dressing with French style mayonnaise. Further adaption removed the meat and due to the high amount of mayonnaise was named the French Salad. Voila!

Ingredients:

Serves 8-10

5 medium sized white potatoes, cooked, cooled, peeled, diced

5 carrots, cooked, cooled, diced

2 cups garden peas, cooked, cooled

6 boiled eggs, diced

6 large dill pickled gherkins, diced

8 heaped tbsp thick European style mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Optional: sour cream, chopped dill or parsley

Note:  This is a very adaptable dish - it has been almost completely transformed from the original Olivier's Salad which contained lettuce, caviar, crayfish tails, veal tongue and smoked grouse, practically only the vegetables were retained, so obviously, it can be well adapted to personal tastes. Celery stalks can add a nice crunch to the salad, as well as green apple. Though, a really good, high quality, creamy European style mayonnaise is the main secret for this dish to be an absolute success. Do not substitute with French Salad Dressing or Sauce Tartare, they are too thin to hold the vegetables.

Method:

1. Cook all the vegetables and eggs separately, so each vegetable retains its distinctive taste. You can cook the veggies ahead, as the salad has to be assembled with all the ingredients well drained and completely cooled.
2. In a large mixing bowl start combining ingredients: diced potatoes, diced carrots, diced gherkins, peas, diced eggs. Fold in the mayonnaise and Dijon, making sure you do not break or squash the veggies.  If the finished salad looks as if it needs more dressing, add a dollop of sour cream.
3. Season well, and garnish with chopped dill or parsley. Serve chilled.

Note: For the Russian Salad just add a cup of diced pressed ham, or smoked chicken, to the above ingredients.