Salads are the basis of the festive New Year’s table. We think many will agree with this. New Year is such a holiday when it comes to desserts and hot dishes only on the second day. And the main feast just consists of a variety of salads and gourmet cold appetizers.
So, today we are preparing salads for the festive table. Olivier and herring under a fur coat are two “unshakable rocks” that are almost always on the menu. We will also definitely talk about them, as well as look for bright and unusual ideas for new delicious salads.
Russian salad
Black caviar, hazel grouse meat, capers and other exotic products were added to the classic Olivier salad. Lucien Olivier, French chef at the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow, created his original recipe over 150 years ago.
In the Soviet years, the salad gained massive popularity. Ingredients have become simpler and more budgetary. Chicken and doctor’s sausage replaced hazel grouse, we won’t even mention black caviar, but the general idea was preserved.
There are a lot of variations on the Olivier theme, all of them cannot be described in one article, but we have compiled a general selection of recipes.
Herring under a fur coat
Multi-layer salad of spicy salted herring and boiled vegetables. Fish, carrots and potatoes are used for the inner layers, while the top is made from beets. Some recipes add layers of onions or green apples.
The history of the dish goes back to the cuisines of the Scandinavian countries, where “herring salads” similar in composition were served at the table. But the usual puff version with mayonnaise is a specialty of Soviet housewives. Some of his interesting recipes are listed below.
Interesting fact
Vegans prepare their own version of the “fur coat”. Herring is replaced with seaweed, eggs are replaced with avocados, and mayonnaise is replaced with some other vegetable white sauce. A very unusual and tasty dish that may be of interest not only to vegetarians.
Salad of corn, Korean carrots and smoked sausage
A simple salad with a bright taste. The recipe will require durum smoked sausage, Korean carrots and canned corn. An unusual combination of spicy carrots with meat delicacy will make the salad a decoration of any holiday table.
You can find other sausage salad recipes in our selection.
Crab sticks
This product has appeared relatively recently. Crab sticks were first made in Japan in 1973. In our country, they appeared on the shelves after another ten years and immediately gained immense popularity.
Crab meat is an expensive and inaccessible delicacy. And crab sticks, made from inexpensive varieties of white fish, are very tasty, beautiful and quite affordable.
The salad is made from slightly undercooked rice, corn, onions and crab sticks, seasoned with mayonnaise.
Delicious salad with beans and beef
Usually salads are considered a light meal. But this recipe is very satisfying and can even replace main courses.
For cooking, take boiled beef, canned beans, hot and bell peppers and walnuts. Add sweet onions, herbs and spices to taste. Cooking is simple, but it turns out tasty, healthy and unusual.
This salad is made without mayonnaise, you can take apple cider vinegar and olive oil as a dressing.
Warm salads
Salads are usually served cold. A warm version of the dish is typical for European and Asian cuisine. For us, this is not quite traditional, but it will be all the more pleasant to surprise guests with an unusual festive dish.
There are many cooking options. The meat base (fried pieces of meat, liver, chicken) is combined with various vegetables and fruits. For dressing use vegetable oil, vinegar, soy and other sauces.
Delicious festive salad of slightly salted salmon
Any red fish is suitable for the dish, but it is best to take salmon or trout.
The basis will be fish, cucumber, grated cheese.
You can add one egg. We use a little mayonnaise for dressing. We put quite a bit of sauce in this salad, “for color”.
There are options with the addition of red caviar or shrimp. Salads from sea delicacies always turn out delicious and are always a hit with guests.
Other salmon salad recipes can be found in our selection.
Snack salads
This is a separate group of dishes.
The classic version is cheese with garlic. This also includes salads from homemade preparations, pickled vegetables and mushrooms. All of them are quite sharp, with a bright, rich taste. These are “adult” dishes, children will not appreciate them, but according to the male part of the company, such snacks must be present on the festive table.
Meat, sausage, fish, cheese, vegetables and even fruits can be mixed in any combination. Try to come up with your own unusual recipe for a holiday, birthday or friendly feast.
