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Russian Salad

This classic cooked vegetable salad is bound with mayonnaise, and can really be only as good as the mayonnaise you use. That’s why it’s important here that it be homemade. The quality of the tuna is also very important as it lends a lot of flavor to this dish. Adapted from a recipe by José Andrés, from Spain and The World Table, The Culinary Institute of America.

2 to 3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and peeled (about 1lb or 450 g)
2 medium carrots, peeled
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus a few sprigs
to garnish
1½ cups small-dice, hard-cooked eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups Mayonesa (see below)
1¾ cups loosely packed olive oil-packed
canned tuna, drained (about 2 cans)

1. Bring 8 cups of salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and carrots and bring back to a gentle boil. Remove the carrots when just tender, after about 15 minutes. Cook the potatoes 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until just tender. If using fresh peas, bring 2 cups of salted water to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until just tender, 5 to 10 minutes. If using frozen peas, cook according to the package instructions.

2. Drain the vegetables and let cool to room temperature on a plate or cookie sheet. Cut the potatoes and carrots into ½-inch (1 cm) dice.

3. Toss the potatoes and carrots with the peas, parsley, and diced eggs in a large bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Fold in the mayonnaise and adjust seasoning to taste. Fold in the tuna and serve.

mayonesa

An important condiment in the Spanish repertoire, mayonesa is served with seafood, used on bocadillos, and eaten with many other tapas. Add crushed garlic to it and you have the signature Catalan sauce allioli (or aïoli, as it is known in France). You can make this very easily in a food processor or, with a little
more effort, in a mortar and pestle. MAKES 2¼ CUPS

1 egg
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Small pinch ground white pepper
Water, as needed

1. Combine the egg, water, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Turn the processor on and slowly drizzle in the oil in a thin, steady stream. The mixture will thicken as the oil is added. Alternatively, combine the egg, water, lemon juice, and salt in a mortar and stir rapidly as you drizzle in the oil.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Thin out as desired with water. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.