Insalata Russa Piemontese
Insalata russa is a classic antipasto salad of finely diced boiled vegetables and hard-boiled eggs, generously bound in creamy mayonnaise.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 50 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan
- •Slotted spoon
- •Cutting board
- •Chef knife
- •Mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 18 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 6 g
- calories
- 310 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a steady rolling boil over medium-high heat.
- 2
Add the diced carrots and boil for 5 to 6 minutes until tender yet firm.
- 3
Lift out the carrots with a slotted spoon and spread them on a wide tray to cool.
- 4
Add the diced potatoes to the boiling water and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until just tender.
- 5
Remove the potatoes and place them alongside the carrots to steam dry.
- 6
Boil the peas for 3 minutes until bright green and tender, then drain and cool.
- 7
Toss the cooled vegetables with the olive oil, white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt.
- 8
Finely dice two of the hard-boiled eggs and slice the remaining egg for garnish.
- 9
Gently fold the diced eggs, gherkins and rinsed capers into the seasoned vegetables.
- 10
Add the mayonnaise and stir gently until every piece is evenly and smoothly coated.
- 11
Transfer to a serving dish, smooth the top, arrange egg slices, and chill for two hours.
Chef's tips
Cut all vegetables to a neat, uniform five-millimetre dice so they cook evenly and look refined. Always boil the vegetables separately because each cooks at a different rate. Ensure the vegetables are completely cool and dry before folding into the mayonnaise, or the sauce will thin out.
Ingredient substitutions
- pickled gherkins → mild pickled silver-skin onions, finely diced
- salted capers → capers in brine, well-drained and chopped
Storage
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to three days; do not freeze as mayonnaise and boiled potatoes will split.
Reheating
This dish is served cold or at cellar temperature and must not be reheated.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the vegetables together, which causes the potatoes to turn mushy while carrots remain hard.
- •Adding mayonnaise while vegetables are warm, causing the sauce to separate into an oily puddle.
- •Skipping the vinegar seasoning step, leaving the vegetable base bland under the rich sauce.
Serving suggestions
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