The Best Russian Salad (ensaladilla Rusa, Estrella De Plata)

Total Time: 40 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 medium yukon gold potatoes, cut in half
• 1 large carrot, cut in half crosswise
• 1 small turnip, cut in halt
• 3 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 1 cup peas, cooked
• 6 ounces imported solid tuna packed in oil (or 1 6-oz can tonno in olive oil, drained and flaked with a fork)
• 2 roasted red peppers, diced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs (2 finely chopped, 1 grated)
• 20 pimiento-stuffed green olives
• 7 best-quality oil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise (or more to taste)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Recipe

• 1 make the salad: place the potatoes, carrot and turnip in a medium-size saucepan. add water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until all the vegetables feel tender when pierced with a skewer, about 15 minutes for the carrot and turnip, a bit longer for the potatoes.
• 2 as the vegetables become soft, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl. take care not to over cook.
• 3 bring the water back to a boil, add the green beans, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes (they should be neither al dente or overcooked). drain the beans, blot them dry with paper towels and set aside. let the vegetables cool to room temperature.
• 4 peel the potatoes, carrot and turnip, then cut them into small dice and transfer to a mixing bowl.
• 5 cut the green beans into a 3/4-inch lengths and add them to the bowl with the diced vegetables. then add the peas, tuna, roasted peppers and the 2 chopped eggs. using a sturdy fork, mash the salad until it has a chunky-creamy consistency.
• 6 make the dressing: place the olives, anchovies, 2 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, and 3 tablespoons water in a blender and process until a medium-fine paste forms. stir the olive mixture into the the salad.
• 7 place the remaining maynnaise and the lemon juice into a small bowl and whisk to mix, then stir into the salad. season with salt and pepper to taste. if you'd like the salad to be moister, add more mayo.
• 8 cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the salad stand for about 2 hours. (you can make the salad up to 1 day ahead. refrigerate it and let it come to room temperature before serving). to serve, spoon the salad on a shallow serving dish and garnish with the grated egg.