Салат оливье (Salat Olivier)

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4 Servings

Olivier is all about status. In its original incarnation, this pre-Revolutionary indulgence featured czar-worthy ingredients, ranging from grouse to crayfish to caviar. And in the Soviet era, the most coveted ingredient? Peas. To be exact, canned peas. Of course, during Soviet times, you could only get canned peas if you knew the right people. And so you would save that high-status luxury can for the most special of occasions: New Year’s Eve.

Ingredients

1 large roaster chicken
6 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled
2 cups fresh peas (my seasonal choice, although frozen peas are an acceptable substitute — and if you really want to be authentically Soviet, go for canned)
1 large sweet onion, cut in a 1/3-inch dice
7 Israeli pickles, cut in a 1/3-inch dice
5 hard-boiled eggs, cut in a 1/3-inch dice
1 cup mayonnaise
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
A hand of pea shoots for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Place the chicken in a large pot, cover with cold water, and add in a generous amount of salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat until it’s just high enough to maintain a gentle simmer. Simmer, skimming off anything that comes to the top, until the chicken is cooked and you can easily pull the joints apart — begin checking after about 30 minutes, but if you’ve got the heat nice and gentle, you shouldn’t have to worry about overcooking things. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot and let it cool until you can handle it (reserve the poaching broth for another use). Discard the skin, pull the meat from the bones, and cut into a 1/3-inch dice.
While the chicken is cooking, place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, salt generously, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until it’s just high enough to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon, and set them aside to cool. Bring the water back up to a boil, add the sweet peas to cook for 30 seconds, then drain and shock them in ice water.
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, and season to taste. Serve right away — if you’re making this in advance, refrigerate, but let it come room temperature before serving. Best served the day it’s made.