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Russian salad – beetroot with potatoes, turnips, carrots and peas

You will not be surprised to learn that this version is far removed from the pallid and unappetisingly presented concoction often found in tins on some supermarket shelves and that which may have featured in some past school lunch nightmares. If the beetroot leaves are fresh and still pretty, use them as well.
From: theguardian.com Serves 6

baby potatoes 300g
carrots 200g, small
young turnips 150g
beetroot 200g, small, various colours if available
bay leaves 2
fresh peas 100g (podded weight)
Dijon mustard 2 tsp
horseradish 1 tbsp, freshly grated
lemon juice 1 tbsp
mayonnaise 250ml (see below)
salt and pepper
baby capers a few
spring onions a few, trimmed and washed
olive oil 3 tbsp
red wine vinegar 1 tbsp
watercress a bunch, washed, spun and thick stalks removed

For the mayonnaise
egg yolks 2
light olive oil 250ml
lemon juice of 1 small
salt and pepper
chives ½ bunch, finely chopped

To make the mayonnaise, beat the yolks together in a small bowl until smooth. Gradually add the olive oil, drop by drop while continually beating, until the mixture has emulsified. If it curdles, try beating an ice cube into the mix; if this fails, start with a clean bowl, a fresh egg yolk and beat the curdled mixture in little by little as before. Add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave covered in a cool place until ready to serve. Fold in the chopped chives just before serving. (This recipe will act as the perfect base of many a mayonnaise.)

Wash the potatoes and peel the carrots and turnips. Halve or quarter the potatoes depending on their size, slice the carrots on an angle and cut the turnips into small wedges. Scrub the beetroots, remove the leaf end and any root tendrils still attached and boil in salted water until tender. Cool in the water, peel and slice into small wedges. (Keep the water if making a beetroot or tomato soup within a few days.) Keep the beetroot separate from the other vegetables until the salad is assembled, as it will stain.

Cook the potatoes in salted water with the bay leaves until almost tender, remove with a slotted spoon and leave to cool. Next cook the turnips in this water, in the same way and remove, then the carrots.

Cook the peas in fresh boiling salted water, drain and chill immediately in iced water. Mix the mustard, freshly grated horseradish, lemon juice and mayonnaise together and season to taste. It should be packed with flavour. Take half the dressing and mix with chilled water until the consistency of single cream. Slice the spring onions finely, keeping the green separate from the white part. Mix the potato, carrot, turnip and capers into the dressing with the white of the spring onion.

Finely shred the beetroot leaves (if any) and jumble with the beetroot, olive oil, salt, pepper and red wine vinegar, and scatter on a plain white plate. Pile the potato salad over the top, scatter with the green spring onion, then the drained peas. If the salad is assembled in this order, and carefully, the effect will be both colourful and pretty.

Serve with a side salad of green or red watercress leaves and offer the remaining horseradish mayonnaise separately.