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1
Boil the Potatoes, Beets and Carrots
25 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
Put the beets in one pot of cold water and the potatoes and carrots in another; salt both lightly. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until a knife slides easily into the largest piece. Drain and leave until just cool enough to handle.
Start testing the potatoes at 18 minutes — overcooked potatoes crumble and the salad turns to mush.
Done when: A knife slides into the potatoes, carrots and beets with no resistance, but the cubes still hold their shape.
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2
Boil the Eggs and Peas
10 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F)
While the roots cook, lower the eggs into a small pot of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes until hard. Drop the frozen peas into the potato pot for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Cool the eggs under cold running water, peel and set aside.
Cold water straight after boiling stops the yolks turning grey-green around the edges.
Done when: The eggs are firm all the way through with bright yellow yolks; the peas are bright green and tender.
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3
Peel and Dice Everything
10 Mins
No heat
Peel the beets — the skins slip off easily — and dice the beets, potatoes and carrots into neat 1 cm cubes. Chop the eggs into small pieces and dice the red onion as finely as you can. Keep the beets in their own bowl for now.
Dice while the vegetables are still warm; warm cubes absorb the dressing and taste better than cold ones.
Done when: Everything is in even 1 cm cubes, the eggs are in small pieces, and the beets sit apart in their own bowl.
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4
Whisk the Dressing
5 Mins
No heat
In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth. Stir in the chopped parsley and the diced red onion.
Taste the dressing before it meets the vegetables — it should be creamy, sharp and well salted.
Done when: The dressing is smooth, pale and seasoned, with the parsley and onion stirred through.
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5
Fold, Colour and Chill
10 Mins plus chilling
Chilled, 4°C (40°F)
Add the potatoes, carrots, peas and chopped eggs to the dressing and fold gently until every cube is coated. Now add the beets and fold just 4 or 5 times, until the salad turns evenly pink — stop as soon as the colour is there. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
The beets go in last and the folding stays gentle; over-mixing turns the salad deep purple and breaks the cubes.
Done when: The salad is evenly pink, creamy but not wet, and every cube is still distinct.
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6
Serve Cold
5 Mins
No heat
Taste and adjust the salt, then pile the salad into a serving bowl, scatter the remaining parsley over the top and serve cold, straight from the fridge.
Serve it well chilled — salade russe is at its best cold, and the flavours settle as it chills.
Done when: The salad is cold, pink and glossy, with parsley on top and the cubes holding their shape.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the salad cold from the fridge, in a wide bowl so everyone can see the pink. It is a side dish, not a main — spoon it next to griot, grilled chicken or rice, and let people help themselves.
Haiti
2h 10m
