Olivier Salad (ะกะฐะปะฐั ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป) is a salad for which the recipe can vary widely, but which is typically made from chopped vegetables and meat in a mayonnaise base.
Invented in Moscow, the salad is now popular throughout the countries of the former Soviet Union and beyond. In places like Turkey, Iran, and Greece, it is eaten and often known as โRussian Saladโ (ะ ัััะบะธะน ัะฐะปะฐั). In Russia, it is synonymous with holiday celebrations โ traditionally made for New Yearโs and nearly any other major event involving a large family meal.
How It Got Its Name
(ะะพัะตะผั ัะฐะบ ะฝะฐะทัะฒะฐะตััั?)
According to one legend, the salad is named โะะปะธะฒัะตโ (Olivier), because it was first made for the actor Sir Lawrence Olivier. The legend is absolutely false, but is a good way to remember how to pronounce the saladโs name: Olivierย is pronounced in Russian and English the same as the legendary actorโs name.
The actual history is that the salad was invented in the 1860s and named for its creator, chef Lucien Olivier. This Belgian (who may have been originally French), ran a Parisian-style restaurant in Moscow called โHermitage.โ
The salad made his elite establishment one of the Russian capitalโs most talked about and frequented establishments. โะะปะธะฒัะต ัะตะฒะฝะพััะฝะพ ั ัะฐะฝะธะป ัะตัะตะฟั ะบะฐะบ ะบะพะผะผะตััะตัะบัั ัะฐะนะฝัโ (Olivier carefully guarded the recipe as a trade secret), always preparing it himself โ and in fact took the recipe to his grave.
It survived via two derived sources. โะะดะธะฝ ัะตัะตะฟั ะฑัะป ัะบัะฐะดะตะฝ ัะฐะฑะพัะฝะธะบะพะผ ะบัั ะฝะธโ (One version was stolen by an employee) who was able to sneak a look at the work station while the great chef was called away. โะััะณะพะน ัะตัะตะฟั ะฑัะป ัะพะทะดะฐะฝ ะพะดะฝะธะผ ะธะท ะฟะพััะพัะฝะฝัั ะฟะพัะตัะธัะตะปะตะน ัะตััะพัะฐะฝะฐโ (Another was developed by one of the restaurantโs regulars) who sought a way to keep the salad going after the chef was gone.
How to Prepare Olivier Salad
ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะณะพัะพะฒะธัั ัะฐะปะฐั ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป?
โะะตััะต ะะปะธะฒัะตโ (Monsieur Olivier) might be comforted (or terrified) to learn that the salad of today that still bears his name bears little resemblance to his original masterpiece.
Olivier Salad was originally called ยซะะฐะนะพะฝะตะท ะธะท ะดะธัะธยป (โGame Bird Mayonnaiseโ). It was made with a series of gourmet ingredients including black caviar and capers, layered together with steamed game hen, and bound in layers of jellied broth. Boiled crayfish tails and pieces of tongue were arranged around the edges of the dish and it was served covered with a small amount of fresh Provencal Sauce made from olive oil, egg yolks, French vinegar, mustard, and spices. A potato skin with gherkins and slices of boiled eggs decorated the center of the dish.
However, most Russian customers, Olivier noticed, would immediately mix the layers and garnish together and eat the mush thus created with a spoon. โะัะดััะธ ัะพะบะธัะพะฒะฐะฝะฝัะผ, ะฝะพ ะถะตะปะฐั ัะณะพะดะธัั ะบะปะธะตะฝัะฐะผ, ะฟัะตะดะฟัะธะธะผัะธะฒัะน ะฟะพะฒะฐั ะฝะฐัะฐะป ะฟะพะดะฐะฒะฐัั ัะฒะพะน ัะฐะปะฐั ะฟะตัะตะผะตัะฐะฝะฝัะผ ะธ ะณัััะพ ะฟะพะปะธััะผ ัะพััะพะผโ (Shocked, but willing to accommodate, the enterprising chef started serving his salad mixed together and bound in sauce rather than covered in it). This is also when the name changed to Olivier Salad.
โะกะพะฒัะตะผะตะฝะฝัั ะฒะตััะธั ะฑะปัะดะฐ ะฑัะปะพ ะฑั ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะฝะฐะทัะฒะฐัั ยซัะพะฒะตััะบะธะผ ะพะปะธะฒัะตยปโ (The modern version of the dish could properly be called โSoviet Olivierโ). During the Soviet period, โะธะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั ัะฐะปะฐัะฐ ะฝะฐัะฐะปะธ ะธะทะผะตะฝััััั, ะฟะพัะบะพะปัะบั ะฝะตะบะพัะพััะต ะธะท ะฝะธั ััะฐะปะธ ะฝะตะดะพัััะฟะฝัโ (the saladโs ingredients began to change as certain ingredients became rarer) in the planned economy or were deemed too bourgeois for the Soviet society.
The caviar was dropped and the capers replaced with peas. โะ ัะฑัะธะบะพะฒ ะทะฐะผะตะฝะธะปะธ ะบััะธัะตะน ะธะปะธ ะฒะตััะธะฝะพะนโ (The game hen was substituted with chicken or ham). Then, as fresh meat became rarer, boiled meats and then sausage became the norm. Gherkins were replaced by more common pickles. Alternately, โะฟะพัะบะพะปัะบั ะผะฐะนะพะฝะตะท ะผะพะถะฝะพ ะฑัะปะพ ะบัะฟะธัั ะฒ ะปัะฑะพะผ ะผะฐะณะฐะทะธะฝะตโ (as mayonnaise became available in stores), homemade Provence sauce was replaced with store-bought mayonnaise.
With these rapid mutations, by the late Soviet period, ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป became a term applied to many diverse salads, whether it was made from canned fish, chicken, crab pieces, or other ingredients. For many, it became a way to prepare a small amount of โะผะตะฝะตะต ะดะพัััะฟะฝัั ะธะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัะพะฒโ (rarer ingredients) such as meats or seafood with those that were โะฑะพะปะตะต ะดะพัััะฟะฝัะผะธโ (more commonly available) such as potatoes and mayonnaise.
โะะพะด ะฝะฐะทะฒะฐะฝะธะตะผ ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป ะฑะพะปััะธะฝััะฒะพ ัะพััะธัะฝ ัะตะณะพะดะฝั ะฟัะตะดััะฐะฒะปััั ยซะบะปะฐััะธัะตัะบัั ัะพะฒะตััะบััยป ะฒะตััะธัโ (Most Russians today will picture a โclassic sovietโ version of the salad) if asked to describe it. This version includes potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, peas, pickles and bologna, all in equal amounts, mixed with enough mayonnaise to bind the ingredients well.
Most often, any recipe for Olivier Saladย that deviates from this short list of ingredients will be termed ยซะะปะธะฒัะต ั โฆยป (โOlivier withโฆโ) to indicate what unique element the recipe offers.
โะัะต ะธะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั ัะตะถัั ะฝะฐ ะผะตะปะบะธะต ะบัะฑะธะบะธ, ัะฐะทะผะตัะพะผ ะฟัะธะผะตัะฝะพ ั ะณะพัะพัะธะฝัโ (all ingredients should be finely cubed into pieces about the size of a pea.)
Some chefs recommend a return to the use of Provencal sauce, or at least by adding mustard, vinegar, and a little olive oil to the mayonnaise before adding it to salad.
Marinated pickles (rather than salted pickles) are preferred. Some chefs also recommend replacing about a third of the pickles with fresh cucumbers โััะพะฑั ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะธัั ัะฐะปะฐัั ัะฒะตะถะตัััโ (to add โfreshnessโ to the salad).
While the recipe is generally and historically flexible, most Russian chefs insist that adding carrots is heresy. This has likely arisen because another salad, โะกะฐะปะฐั ยซะกัะพะปะธัะฝัะนยปโ is usually made with carrots and is otherwise basically identical to Olivier Salad.
Incidentally, โะกะฐะปะฐั ยซะกัะพะปะธัะฝัะนยปโ is descended directly from the recipe stolen by Monsieur Olivierโs former employee. The thief rebranded it with that name. โะะฑะฐ ัะตัะตะฟัะฐ ะฟะตัะตะถะธะปะธ ัั ะพะถะธะต ะธะทะผะตะฝะตะฝะธั ะฒ ั ะพะดะต ัะฒะพะตะน ะธััะพัะธะธโ (Both recipes then went through similar changes as they lived out similar histories).
When and How to Eat Olivier Salad
(ะะฐะบ ะฟัะฐะฒะธะปัะฝะพ ะตััั ัะฐะปะฐั ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป?)
The symbolic meaning of Olivier Salad in Russian cuisine is significant, perhaps most comparable with stuffing in America. โะขะฐะบ ะถะต, ะบะฐะบ ะผะฝะพะณะธะต ะฐะผะตัะธะบะฐะฝัั ะฝะต ะผะพะณัั ะฟัะตะดััะฐะฒะธัั ัะตะฑะต ะะตะฝั ะะปะฐะณะพะดะฐัะตะฝะธั ะฑะตะท ั ะปะตะฑะฝะพะณะพ ะฝะฐัะธะฝะบะธ, ะฑะพะปััะธะฝััะฒะพ ัะพััะธัะฝ ะฝะต ะฟัะตะดััะฐะฒะปััั ัะตะฑะต ะะพะฒัะน ะะพะด ะฑะตะท ัะฐะปะฐัะฐ ยซะะปะธะฒัะตยป.โ (Much like most Americans could not imagine a Thanksgiving without stuffing, most Russians could not imagine a New Yearโs without Olivier Salad.) It often shares the table with another holiday staple salad โ ะกะตะปัะดะบะฐ ะฟะพะด ััะฑะพะน (Herring under a Fur Coat).
โะะตัะฒัะน ะบะฐะฝะฐะปโ (First Channel), Russiaโs most watched television channel, has even capitalized on this by christening its annual New Yearโs variety show, which shows animation, songs, and sketch comedy all night, as ยซะะปะธะฒัะต-ัะพัยปย (The Olivier Show). This show usually plays without commercial breaks โ but with regular plugs for a general sponsor. In the past, this sponsor has often been, amusingly, a mayonnaise company.
Olivier Salad Recipes
(ะะฐะฒะฐะน ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะธะผ!)
See below for a free recipe for various Russian Olivier salads. You might also be interested in the following specialized cookbooks weโve enjoyed:
ย
ะกะฐะปะฐั ะะปะธะฒัะตย (ยซัะพะฒะตััะบะธะนยป ะฒะฐัะธะฐะฝั) | Olivier Saladย (โSovietโ version) |
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
*ะัะต ะธะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั ะฑะตััััั ะฒ ัะฐะฒะฝัั ัะฐัััั ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั ะฝะฐัะตะทะฐัั ะผะตะปะบะธะผะธ ะบัะฑะธะบะฐะผะธ. ะะฐะฟัะฐะฒะธัั ะผะฐะนะพะฝะตะทะพะผ. ะะพะฑะฐะฒััะต ะฟะพ ะฒะบััั ัะพะปั, ะฟะตัะตั, ะธ ัะฒะตะถะธะน ัะบัะพะฟ, ะตัะปะธ ะฝะฐะดะพ. |
Ingredients
*All ingredients are used in equal amounts Preparation Chop up all the ingredients into small cubes. Mix in mayonnaise. Add fresh dill, salt and pepper to taste, if desired. |
ย
ะกะฐะปะฐั ะะปะธะฒัะตย (ยซัะฐััะบะธะนยป ะฒะฐัะธะฐะฝั) | Olivier Saladย (โTsaristโ version) |
ะะพั ัะตัะตะฟั ยซัะฐะปะฐัะฐ ะะปะธะฒัะตยป, ะฟัะธะณะพัะฐะฒะปะธะฒะฐะตะผะพะณะพ ะฒ ะปัััะธะต ะฒัะตะผะตะฝะฐ ะฒ ัะตััะพัะฐะฝะต ะญัะผะธัะฐะถ (ะฒะพัััะฐะฝะพะฒะปะตะฝะฝัะน ะฒ 1904 ะณะพะดั ะฟะพ ะพะฟะธัะฐะฝะธัะผ ะพะดะฝะพะณะพ ะทะฐะฒัะตะณะดะฐัะฐั ัะตััะพัะฐะฝะฐ):
ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั
ะะฐะฟัะฐะฒะบะฐ ัะพััะพะผ ยซะัะพะฒะฐะฝัะฐะปัยป: 400 ะณัะฐะผะผะพะฒ ะพะปะธะฒะบะพะฒะพะณะพ ะผะฐัะปะฐ ะฒะทะฑะธััะต ั ะดะฒัะผั ัะฒะตะถะธะผะธ ัะธัะฝัะผะธ ะถะตะปัะบะฐะผะธ, ั ะดะพะฑะฐะฒะปะตะฝะธะตะผ ััะฐะฝััะทัะบะพะณะพ ัะบัััะฐ ะธ ะณะพััะธัั. ะัะธะณะพัะพะฒะปะตะฝะธะต ะะฝะณัะตะดะธะตะฝัั ะฝะฐัะตะทะฐัั ะผะตะปะบะธะผะธ ะบัะฑะธะบะฐะผะธ. ะะฐะฟัะฐะฒะธัั ัะพััะพะผ ยซะัะพะฒะฐะฝัะฐะปัยป. |
This early recipe for Olivier salad, prepared during the height of the Hermitage restaurantโs popularity (this recipe was written out in 1904, according to the description of one of the restaurantโs frequent customers):
Ingredients
Provencal Sauce: beat 400 grams of olive oil with two egg yolks until light and smooth, then add French vinegar and mustard. Preparation Chop up all the ingredients into small cubes. Mix in the Provencal Sauce. |
Our Favorite Olivier Clips
This made-for-internet series, known as ยซะัะฑะธะผัะต ัะตัะตะฟัั ั ะะฐัะฐะปัะตะน ะกะบะฒะพััะพะฒะพะนยป, is apparently done to advertise the mayonnaise brand ยซะะพัะบะพะฒัะบะธะน ะัะพะฒะฐะฝัะฐะปัยป. Note that the host gives very little direction on how to actually prepare the salad โ nearly the entire time is given over to the saladโs history. It is obviously assumed that most Russian-speaking viewers are already familiar with the preparation and likely more interested in a good narrative.
ย
Another recipe for Olivier Salad โ from a very calm, Russian-speaking woman who describes the process slowly and clearly.
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