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Persian potato chicken salad Recipe (Salad Olivier)

There are many different versions of Salad Olivieh, as you will find if you google it! This recipe has been adapted from the Sepcooks website: http://sepcooks.com/persian-potato-chicken-egg-salad/. It is a classic recipe, except that it does not include carrots. The addition of carrots makes this salad sweeter, which may or may not be preferable (you choose). 

This salad which is often enjoyed on picnics (sometimes as a sandwich), can be described as a loaded potato salad with a tangy kick to it. The tanginess comes from the mayonnaise, lemon and gerkins. The type of gerkins used is important in creating the authentic taste of this dish. Persian gerkins are best, as they are infused with herbs and garlic which gives them a distinct flavour. In addition they are deliciously crunchy.

Ingredients (for 4)

  • 600g Boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • salt 
  • 2 large potatoes unpeeled
  • 3 large eggs, hard boiled and shelled, chopped into small cubes
  • ¾ – 1 ¼ cup good quality mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • Juice of ½ lemon or 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 250g frozen peas, defrosted
  • ¾ cup Persian gherkins, chopped into small cubes
  • handful of fresh finely chopped dill or roughly torn tarragon leaves
  • 50g slices black olives
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 small red onion
  • A small handful of flat leaf parsley
  • 1 ready-rolled puff pastry sheet (about 35x24cm)
  • 40g butter

Instructions 

  • Put the chicken, onion, garlic, and 2 teaspoons of salt, and a pinch of pepper in a large pot. Cover with cold filtered water and bring to the boil over high heat. 
  • Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, 15-20 minutes. 
  • Remove the poached chicken from the liquid, and set aside until cool enough to handle. 
  • Use forks to finely shred the cooked chicken, put the shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl and set aside. 
  • Add the potatoes (unpeeled) to a pot of cold salted water. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook until the potatoes can be easily pierced by a fork, about 15-20 minutes. 
  • Drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins and roughly mash the potatoes in a large bowl to give you a lumpy mash.
  • Cook the eggs in boiling water for 8 minutes, or until just hard-boiled. Drain, peel and discard the shells, then use a box grater to roughly grate the eggs, adding them to the potato bowl.
  • Add ¾ cup of mayonnaise, all the mustard, olive oil and lemon juice to the chicken and potatoes. Add the grated eggs and mix well. At this point you can taste the Olivier salad and add more mayo, salt, or lemon juice to suit your taste. If the Olivier salad is too dry for your liking, add more mayo or mustard (or both). 
  • Mound the salad Olivieh onto a serving platter and garnish with extra pickles, black olives, and/or fresh dill. 
  • Chill the Olivieh in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving. 

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