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1
Cook the Macaroni, Carrot and Eggs
12 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Lower the macaroni and the eggs into the boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt and cook for 10 minutes, adding the diced carrot for the last 3 minutes. Drain the pasta and carrot in a colander, run cold water over them until completely cool, and lift out the eggs to cool in a bowl of cold water.
Cool the pasta fully before the mayonnaise goes anywhere near it, or the dressing will turn thin and oily.
Done when: Macaroni tender but firm, carrot just tender, eggs hard all the way through.
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2
Marinate the Onion
10 Mins
Room temperature; keep below 21°C (70°F)
While the pasta cooks, toss the minced red onion with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar and a pinch of the salt in a small bowl. Leave it for 10 minutes: the vinegar softens the bite of the raw onion and turns it a gentle pink.
Do not skip the marinade — raw red onion straight into the salad is sharp enough to take over the whole bowl.
Done when: Onion softened, lightly pink, smelling of vinegar rather than raw onion.
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3
Whisk the Dressing
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the evaporated milk, the olive oil, the remaining tablespoon of vinegar, the paprika and the black pepper until smooth and pourable. Taste: it should be tangy and well salted, a little stronger than you think, because the plain pasta will soften it.
If the dressing looks too thick to coat the pasta, whisk in evaporated milk a teaspoon at a time until it ribbons off the spoon.
Done when: Smooth, pale dressing that falls in ribbons from the whisk.
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4
Combine and Chill
5 Mins plus 2 hours chilling
Chill at 4°C (40°F) or below
Peel and chop the eggs. In a large bowl, combine the cooled macaroni and carrot with the peas, corn, red pepper, marinated onion with its vinegar, and the chopped egg. Pour over the dressing and fold gently until every elbow is coated. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the flavours marry.
Fold, do not stir hard: vigorous stirring breaks the elbows and mashes the peas.
Done when: Every piece coated, colours bright against the white dressing, bowl cold to the touch.
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5
Taste and Serve
2 Mins
Serve cold, at 4°C (40°F)
Take the salad out of the fridge, give it a gentle fold, and taste. Add salt or a few drops of vinegar if the chill has dulled it, and a spoon of mayonnaise if it looks dry — cold pasta drinks up dressing overnight. Serve cold in a wide bowl.
Always re-season after chilling: cold dulls salt and vinegar, and a flat salad is the most common fault.
Done when: Creamy, tangy and cold, with the dressing clinging to the pasta.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the salad cold, straight from the fridge, in a wide bowl so the peas, corn and peppers show against the creamy macaroni.
Dominican Republic
3h 15m
