There have been culinary contributions from other cultures that were well received when they made their way into our culture, such as macaroni, salad olivieh and in the recent years, pizza. As I understand it, salad olivieh was first introduced to the Iranian cuisine somewhere between the late 60's and the early 70's and it easily became one of our popular dishes. It is said that "salad Olivier" was created by a French chef M. Olivier who opened a restaurant in Moscow in the 19th century and this was his recipe, if you are interested you can read more about it, here. The first time I had salad olivieh was at my sister's wedding reception many years ago which was prepared by a caterer.
سالاد الیویه Salad Olivieh is a popular picnic or party dish in Iran. There are many different recipes for this dish. Olivieh salad is a combination of chicken, potato and egg salad all in one!
I like to add lemon juice in addition to the pickles for a more tangy taste.
Salad Olivieh
Ingredients:
Serves 4-6
5 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and diced
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
3 large eggs boiled, peeled, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, cook according to package directions
3 pickled cucumbers (khiar shoor), chopped
1 cup olives - green or black
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoons lemon/lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Method:
- Place potatoes in a pot, add enough water to cover potatoes, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender. Drain, let cool, then peel and dice.
- In a small bowl, whisk mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.
- In a large bowl, combine chicken, potatoes, eggs, peas and chopped pickles. Add the mayonnaise dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Spread salad olivieh in a serving dish. Garnish with olives, pickles and peas.
Enjoy!