Persian-style Russian salad with tarragon mayonnaise

By: Greg Malouf, Lucy Malouf
From: New Middle Eastern Food
Serves: 6 as part of a mezze selection
Photographer: Mark Roper

We were surprised to see interpretations of this old-fashioned favourite on buffet tables at restaurants and hotels around Iran. Its success rests on the quality of the ingredients, so use young, tender, freshly cooked vegetables. It’s also vital to use French tarragon, which has a much more intense flavour than the Russian variety.

For a heartier dish, add about 250 g of cooked chicken cut into small chunks — a peculiarly Iranian addition.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
250g	peas in the pod
or 100g	frozen peas
400g	waxy potatoes
6	baby carrots, lightly scraped
250g	cooked chicken, cut into small chunks, (optional)
1/2 cup	finely diced cornichons
3	hard-boiled free-range eggs, finely chopped
2 tablespoons	thick natural yoghurt or sour cream
3-4 tablespoons	Mayonnaise
or 3-4 tablespoons	good-quality bought mayonnaise
2 tablespoons	chopped tarragon leaves, or to taste
	sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Shell the peas, if using fresh ones. Cook the potatoes, carrots and peas, separately, until tender. Peel the potatoes and cut into 1 cm dice. Cut the carrots into 1 cm chunks. Toss the vegetables together in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool.
Add the chicken, if using, along with the cornichons and egg and toss gently.
In a separate bowl, mix the yoghurt with the mayonnaise. Stir in the chopped tarragon, adding more or less to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Add to the salad and toss so that everything is lightly coated. Add a little more mayonnaise if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Tags:: Malouf; Greg; Lucy; Middle; Eastern

Persian-style Russian salad with tarragon mayonnaise

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