Recipe: Persian Chicken and Prune Stew (Khoresh Aloo)

Persians have mastered the art of combining meat with fruit. Coming from someone who never really cared for the two together, I can tell you that Persians do it well and this dish is a prime example.

If you're squirming from the sound of prunes and chicken in stew form, let me try to describe it to you before you decide you're gonna hate it. The base is sweet, tangy and almost candy like. The chicken combined with the slow cooked onions, and some salt + pepper provide the savory elements needed to give it the sweet/salty phenomenon (but more on the sweet side). Serve this stew on a bed of fluffy basmati rice and you've got something that will satisfy your tastebuds in a totally different way.

This recipe calls for pomegranate paste, which is a thick molasses-like paste made of pomegranate concentrate. You can find this at your local Persian grocery/specialty store.

Persian Chicken and Prune Stew (Khoresh Aloo)
- 2 cups of prunes
- 1-2 chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 inch strips (depends on how much meat you want)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups of water
- 2 Tbsp of pomegranate paste
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. In an oiled pan, saute the onions until translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add the  chicken and saute for 3 minutes until partially cooked and lightly brown on the outside.

2. Add the water and prunes. Bring the water to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, covered with the lid on. Add more water part way through if necessary. If the heat is too high, the water may evaporate.

3. While simmering, uncover the stew and with a spatula, mash up 1/4 of the prunes so that it helps form a thick sauce. Add 2 Tbsp of pomegranate sauce, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. Turn off the heat and serve hot.

You can use any type of chicken you want. Feel free to use all dark meat or mix it with both white and dark. If you prefer a more meaty stew, go ahead and add more chicken to the recipe.

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The Persian Banh Mi

I'd like to introduce you to the kookoo sabzi sandwich, AKA 'The Persian Banh Mi'.

A banh mi sandwich is a Vietnamese sub that is served in a French baguette and filled with meats, fresh veggies, pickled veggies and different spreads like butter, mayo and pork pate.

Although very little similarities between a Vietnamese banh mi and the kookoo sabzi sandwich, this sandwich totally screams Persian Banh Mi. Mainly because it is served in an elongated shaped bread with a standard set of condiments.

This really is a delicious sandwich and healthy too! Here is how you put it together.

1. Make the kookoo sabzi.

2. Grab a hoagie bun and slice it down the middle.

3. Spread labneh on the bun, put kookoo sabzi in between and add condiments like tomatoes, pickles and hot peppers.

Noosh-e-jan!

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Kookoo Sabzi (Persian Green Herb Omelet)

Ok, so this is not a freaky Halloween post. This is a really healthy Persian omelet that is packed with tons of good stuff, and also fun to say! Kookoo. Kookoo. Kookoo.

When in need of something healthy and substantial, this is a great dish that can be eaten throughout the week. It is good as lunch or dinner. Although not very Persian, you can also mix up the greens and use whatever is in the fridge. In the summer, go ahead and add the fresh mint leaves from your garden. If you're in a spinach mood, throw that in. Even if you have salad mix that is about to expire, feel free to throw that in too.

The original Persian style kookoo sabzi is definitely the tastiest. Fenugreek is listed as optional in this recipe because it is both an acquired taste and hard to find in some parts of the world. Some recipes also call for barberries or walnuts to add more taste and variety to this dish.

This recipe yields 8 servings.

Kookoo Sabzi
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups of coriander, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of green onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of curly parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of Italian parsley, roughly chopped
- 1 cup of dill, roughly chopped
- 1 Tbsp of dried Fenugreek (optional)
- 1/8 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour.
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F/180C. In a food processor, combine the eggs and all of the herbs and pulse until all of the vegetables have been finely chopped (approximately 30 seconds to 1 minute). If you prefer the herbs to be chunkier, skip the food processor and leave the herbs roughly chopped and just mix the herbs with the eggs in a bowl with a fork.

2. Pour the egg mixture into a bowl. Add salt, pepper and flour and mix well. The flour will bind the omelet.

3. Generously oil an 8"x8" baking dish and bake for 10 minutes. Take the dish out of the oven and pour the egg mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes. Take it out and lightly brush the surface with olive oil. Bake for another 10 minutes.

4. Remove from the oven and allow the kookoo (omelet) to cool. Remove from the baking dish (simply flip it upside down) and cut into wedges. Serve cool or warm.

Kookoo is normally baked in a round dish or pan fried in a round pan and then cut into triangular slices like a pizza. However, if you want to make a kookoo sabzi sandwich, then rectangular wedges are much easier to work with in a sandwich.

If you don't feel like a sandwich, you can simply dip this in a yogurt sauce and have it with pita bread, rice, or eat it plain. There really are no rules. You can eat this however you want.

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Mirza Ghasemi (Persian Eggplant Tomato Dip)

I am slowly collecting my Persian recipes, and this is the latest one. This is a fresh and easy dip that is great for dinner parties. If you like eggplant and garlic, then this dip is for you.

Some recipes call for eggs and onions but that is not how my mother-in-law makes it. I like to add a bit of paprika for extra sweetness, which is entirely my addition and not traditional in any sense.

Mirza Ghasemi (Persian Eggplant Tomato Dip)
- 10 Chinese eggplants
- 1 (156 mL, 5.5 fl oz) can of tomato paste
- 1 fresh roma tomato, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp of paprika
- 4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. With a fork, poke holes into the eggplants, cut off the stems, place them on a baking tray, and broil low (approximately 15-20 minutes) until they are tender and the skin turns a light brown color. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Peel the eggplants with your hands (the skin should come off easily), discard the skin, and roughly chop the eggplant.

3. In a frying pan, heat the garlic on medium heat with a generous amount of olive oil for 1 minute. Add the eggplant, roma tomato, turmeric, paprika and tomato paste, and cook for another 15 minutes. Once all of the flavors are blended, add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Refrigerate and serve cold. If the dip seems a bit dry, add some olive oil and mix well.

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Persian Yellow Plum Stew (Khoresh Aloo)

This dish is one of my favorite Persian dishes, and is best enjoyed in the summer time. It is a stew made of fresh herbs and yellow plums, all of which taste the best in the summer months.

Persians love their food sour, which is why I call for semi-ripe plums and why I don't have an exact measurement in the recipe. If you prefer your food sweeter, I would suggest either using ripe plums or more sugar. For me, 2 Tablespoons of sugar was good enough.

Yellow plums are typically harvested June - Sept, and are about the size of golf balls. They are very sour when unripe, but very sweet with a honey like taste when ripe.

This stew calls for A LOT of fresh herbs. Our local grocery store sells Italian parsley for cheap but that's not always the case depending on where you live. Alternatively, you can grow your own herbs, which is very easy to do.

Mint grows like weeds in our garden, so I make a lot of dishes that incorporate mint in the summer time. I'll even stuff them in my sandwiches just because I can!

This recipe yields 4-6 servings.

Persian Yellow Plum Stew (Khoresh Aloo)
- 25 semi-ripe yellow plums
- 3/4 lbs stewing beef or good quality steak cut in 1 inch cubes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 8 cups of fresh Italian parsley, loosely packed and finely chopped
- 3 cups of fresh mint , loosely packed and finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- salt
- pepper
- 2-4 Tbsp sugar

Method
1. In a lightly oiled pot, saute the onions until translucent. Add in the beef, turmeric and few shakes of salt and pepper, and saute until the beef is 3/4 of the way cooked.

2. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add in the water, Italian parsley, mint, 1/4 tsp of salt, and simmer for 60 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. Add in the plums and simmer until the plums have cooked and have fallen off the pit (approx 10 minutes). Remove the pits, add sugar, and stir gently. Serve hot with basmati rice.

I say to gently stir at the end because Persians like to see chunks of plum in their stew. CK and I like it more on the mushy side, so I probably stirred a bit more than I should have.

This is definitely is not a typical stew, and you need to develop an acquired taste for it. But honestly, get past the fact that you are eating plums for dinner, and embrace it! As I said, it is one of my favorite Persian dishes.

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Happy Persian New Year!

Happy Nowruz everyone!

Today is Persian New Year, also the first day of Spring! Eid-e Nowruz (Persian New Year) is the biggest holiday for Persians, celebrated in many countries including Iran, Albania, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This is the first year that CK and I are celebrating Persian New Year without his parents, which means that we (including his sister) had to do all the New Year prep ourselves. All the prep revolves around the idea of starting the new year with a fresh start: a thorough Spring cleaning of the house, purchase of new clothes, and the purchase of new flowers.

Another major prep for Nowruz is the Haft Sin spread (pictured in the title photo), a traditional table setting reflecting the major symbols of life and signifying all the things we want in life.

Sabzeh: signifying Rebirth and Renewal

Haft Sin means seven 'S', and everything displayed on the haft sin table starts with the letter 'S'.
The Haft Sin is the focal point of the New Year celebration, and families take pride in displaying beautiful, elaborate settings. I think the three of us did a pretty awesome job with our haft sin this year.

The seven major haft sin items are:

1. sabzeh - legume sprouts (symbolizing rebirth and renewal)
2. senjed - dried fruit of a lotus tree (symbolizing love...my favorite one!)
3. sib - apple (symbolizing health and beauty)
4. samanu - wheat pudding (symbolizing fertility)
5. serkeh - vinegar (symbolizing age and patience)
6. somagh - crushed sumac berries (symbolizing the color of sunrise...sun conquers evil)
7. seer - garlic (symbolizing medicine and good health)

Additional 'S' items are optional such as eggs (fertility), candles (energy), gold fish (life), hyacinth (life and beauty), coins (wealth), mirror (cleanliness and honesty), and pastries (sweetness).

One of my favorite parts of eid is the egg decorating. Every year, we all compete for the best decorated egg.

Decorated Eggs

The winning egg, hands down, is CK's 'kumbaya' egg. Isn't this the cutest egg you have ever seen? He has never been the artistic type, so I'm impressed that we even got him to decorate an egg. Thank god for March Madness...he decorated his egg while watching basketball. I'm so proud of him for doing this! His egg just makes me smile.

Kumbaya Egg

My sister-in-law, naturally, creates the most symbolic and thoughtful egg of the bunch. This year is the Year 1390 in the Persian solar calendar.

1390 Egg

And this was my egg! No significance, it's just what came to mind.

Peacock Egg

It is also important to eat a traditional New Year's dish for Nowruz. In CK's family, it is traditional to have lentil rice with sauteed onions, raisins, and dates. A very simple yet delicious dish.

Lentil Rice

Sauteed Raisins, Dates and Caramelized Onions

And Nowruz is all about visiting family and friends (which we did). It is also imperative to eat something sweet to ensure a sweet year to come!

Pastries to Start a Sweet Year

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Pomegranate & Jello

Let me start by telling you a little story about myself. I used to hate Jello. I've always found it a very annoying food to eat. You can't drink it, but chewing it is awkward. When eating Jello, I always felt as though I never chewed my food properly before swallowing.

But, for some reason, I never bothered telling anybody that I didn't like Jello when I was a kid. Beebs, my sister, loved it, so I pretended to love it too. As a result, we ate Jello ALL the time at home. As soon as I got old enough to refuse food without insulting my parents, I stopped eating Jello permanently...until recently that is.

I first had this awesome (and super easy) Jello dessert in Memphis at a dinner party. It is healthy and refreshing, and this is a really fun dessert to eat. I enjoy the different textures in this Jello and I love how the juices from the pomegranate burst in between my teeth each time I bite into the crunchy seeds.

Pomegranate & Jello is a Persian dessert. Traditionally, the Jello is made from scratch, but with the invention of instant Jello, there is no need to make it from scratch (unless you are making a flavor that is not available in instant form).

You can use any Jello flavor your taste buds desire. My favorite is the cherry flavor. For dinner parties, this is normally served in a big serving bowl, where the guests dig in and eat it buffet style. I decided to serve them in clear wine glasses, but you can use pretty much anything you wish.

Pomegranate & Jello
- 2 packages of instant Jello (any flavor)
- 2 cups of pomegranate seeds

Method
1. Make the Jello according to package instructions.

2. In your serving dish of choice, layer the Jello and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top until most of the surface is covered. Chill for 30 minutes. Serve cold.

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Nocochi Cafe Patisserie, Montreal

I was recently in Montreal for a training course, and I was very excited because I hadn't visited Montreal in what felt like, forever! Montreal has a special place in my heart. This is where CK used to live, and was also where I spent all my weekends for a few years. My short trip to Montreal was a blast from the past! I loved walking through the busy streets of downtown Montreal, and it was a nice change from the Ottawa suburbia culture.

Being back in Montreal also reminded me of when my relationship used to be easy. We had no worries back then, and our focus was to have fun ALL THE TIME. No huge bills to pay, no long tiresome hours at work, and no extreme long distance marriage to balance!

The little free time I got in Montreal, I used wisely and visited my old favorite places. One of these is Nocochi Cafe Patisserie, a stylish café specializing in Persian pastries.

Window Display at Nocochi

Visiting this place was a joy for both the eyes and stomach. They have a large selection of beautiful mini pastries ranging from delicate Persian nut pastries to French macarons to fruit jellies. If you want something more substantial, they also offer coffees, teas, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads.
I took home a cute little box of pastries for CK (who is home for the holidays...yay!) and I, and below is a lil’ snapshot of what we had:

Persian Pastries from Nocochi

To get a feel of how mini these pastries really were, I compared them to a Canadian nickel.

My favorite were the little marzipan balls. I LOVE anything with almonds.

Marzipan Balls

I also picked up a personal pizza for myself, and ordered the Nocochi pizza: sun dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, ham, mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, artichoke, olives, onions, roasted capsicum, and . The pizza didn't look like much but the ingredients were fresh. It also wasn't very greasy, which I liked.

Nocochi Pizza

Nocochi is owned by Vivel, its parent company. The majority of the Vivel shops are in the Middle East, but they are looking to expand in both Canada and the Middle East.

Nocochi Cafe Patisserie
2156 Mackay Street
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Telephone: 514-989-7514

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Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)

This spinach noodle soup is my secret weapon to staying healthy. When I'm not eating out, I make sure I eat damn well, and this soup is one of my default dishes. This soup is likely the first thing I make when I return from my travels. I make a huge honkin pot that will last me days, and this is how I 'detox' from my travels.

To some, this soup will look extremely unappetizing, but if you keep an open mind, you'll learn that it is delicious. What's best is that you get everything your body craves: protein, vegetables, fiber, carbohydrates...

I recently received an email from a reader asking for the recipe for this soup (after seeing this old post), so here it is. Good luck and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
This recipe yields 8-10 servings.

Persian Spinach and Noodle Soup (Ash-e Reshteh)
- 11 oz, 312g package of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of coriander, roughly chopped and loosely packed
- 2 Tbsp dried mint
- 10 cups of water, or broth of choice
- 1/3 cup of dried chickpeas
- 1/3 cup of dried red kidney beans
- 1/3 cup of dried navy beans
- 3/4 cup of dried green lentils
- 3 small onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 cups of dried Persian noodles (reshteh)
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- salt and pepper
- extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Steam the chickpeas, kidney beans, and navy beans. To do this, boil 2 cups of salted water in a small pot. Turn off the heat, pour in the beans, and leave the lid on for at least 40 minutes. Drain excess water.

2. In a large pot, sautee the onions and garlic with extra virgin olive oil, turmeric, and a dash of salt. Add 10 cups of water (or broth), and bring to a boil. Add spinach, coriander, scallions, and mint. Simmer for 45 minutes

3. Add the steamed beans. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the dried lentils. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. If you feel your soup is not thick enough, sift some all purpose flour into the soup.

Once you get comfortable with making this soup, you can go ahead and use any combination of greens and beans you want. For the greens, keep in mind that the majority should be spinach.

If you don't want to spend the time to prepare the dried beans, you can always used canned beans which takes a lot less time. If that is the case, add the beans near the end of the recipe so that they don't overcook.

Persians like to add a hint of sourness to this soup. An option is to stir in a bit of plain yogurt or whey right before serving.

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Ghermez Cupcakes, Sydney

Ghermez Cupcakes has made an impression on me for 2 reasons:

1. They make moist, quality cupcakes with interesting flavors.
2. The cupcakes are Persian influenced, just like my better half.

The word Ghermez means 'red' in Farsi, which explains the red color theme seen throughout the store and website. Ingredients commonly used in Persian cuisine such as pistachio, rose water, orange blossom water, and date have been incorporated into Ghermez's cupcakes, giving them a Persian twist.

Ghermez Cupcakes at Bondi Junction

There is a store located on level 5 of the Westfield Mall in Bondi Junction and another location in Alexandria. CK and I checked out the store in Westfield Mall.

Ghermez Cupcakes has a rotating cupcake menu with a total of 20 flavors. Twelve flavors are available each day, and the following 6 flavors are available everyday of the week:

- chocolate marshmallow
- chocolate mud
- red velvet
- strawberry
- vanilla, and
- vanilla milk chocolate

Some flavors are offered in mini cupcake form, which was good for CK and I because it allowed us to try more cupcakes without overindulging.

We ordered one full sized cupcake, and four mini ones.

Ghermez Cupcakes

The first was the chilli chocolate mini cupcake. It was a chocolate cake with chilli flavoured chocolate filling. The cupcake was topped with a chocolate buttercream icing. The chilli was nice and subtle. The spiciness of the chilli didn't really kick in until the end. The cake itself was moist and flavorful.

Chilli Chocolate Cupcake

Next was the rose chocolate mini cupcake. It was a dark chocolate cake with rose flavoured chocolate filling. I couldn't really taste the rose flavor in this cupcake, but CK said he picked it up.

Rose Chocolate Cupcake

The pistachio & rose cupcake screams Persian to me. It was a pistachio & rose water cake with white chocolate buttercream. Both flavors were dominant in this cupcake, and the cake was full of little pistachio bits. This was CK's favorite.

Pistachio & Rose Cupcake

The orange & almond cupcake was one of my favorites. It was an orange & almond cake with a splash of orange blossom water. On top of the cupcake was dark chocolate ganache and a candied orange peel. This cupcake was both refreshing and chocolately at the same time. The orange flavor was very nice, and the candied orange peel added a nice touch.

Orange & Almond Cupcake

On the top of my list was the strawberry cupcake. It was fresh strawberry cake with strawberry icing. The strawberry flavor is subtle and not artificial tasting at all. Like the pistachio cake, you can see bits of strawberry puree in both the cake and the icing.

Strawberry Cupcake

Other flavors I would have loved to try were: sticky date, banana, apple, and peanut butter chocolate.

Ghermez Cupcakes, Bondi Junction
Westfield Shopping Centre, Level 5
500 Oxford Street
Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: 02 9389 4600

Ghermez Cupcakes, Alexandria
112 McEvoy Street
Alexandria, Sydney, Australia
Telephone: 02 9389 4600

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Celery Stew (Khoresh Karafs)

I've realized that most Persian food is not photogenic. It is unfortunate because it is one of my favorite cuisines. I wish it were easier to translate the spectacular tastes found in Persian cuisine into a visually appealing photograph.

I never really understood slow cooking until I learned how to make Persian food...patience is key, my friends. Persian cuisine comprises of a lot of khoresh's, or stews. Their stews are different from what you would normally see because most are herb or fruit based.

This celery stew is an example of an herb based khoresh. Because the herbs are cooked for a really long time, they don't have an overwhelming taste. The strongest flavors in this particular stew are the celery and the lime. This stew is best eaten with basmati rice.

The following recipe yields 4 servings.

Celery Stew (Khoresh Karafs)
- 4 cups of parsley, finely chopped and tightly packed
- 3/4 lbs of stewing beef, cut in pieces
- 1 medium onion , finely chopped
- 8-10 celery stalks, cut in 1 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dried mint
- 1/2 of a lime, juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. In a lightly oiled pot, sautee the onions until translucent. Add in the beef, turmeric and some salt, and sautee until the beef is 3/4 of the way cooked.

2. Turn the heat down to a simmer. Add in the water, parsley, and dried mint and simmer for 45 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally. Add in the celery and simmer for another 45 minutes with the lid on. Stir occasionally.

3. Turn the heat off. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the lime juice. Stir well and serve.
Persians love their food sour. If you want, you can add rhubarb in addition to the celery for a more sour taste. I've never tried cooking it like that myself, but a friend did and it was awesome.

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Trout Stuffed with Prunes and Pomegranate

I've never been a fan of mixing meat with fruit. I've always believed that the two should be kept separate...until I started eating Persian food, that is. This dish combines fruit with fish, and if you are one of those meat/fruit haters like I used to be, believe me when I say this dish is good!

This healthy fish dish is baked with a prune, raisin, and pomegranate sauce stuffing. The pomegranate sauce adds a nice tangy flavor, and the herbs in the sauce provide texture. My mother-in-law likes to serve this dish with a dill + fava bean rice that pairs perfectly.

Pomegranate sauce can be found in most Persian grocery stores. It is a thick paste that is made purely from pomegranate juice. The pomegranate juice is reduced to create a molasses-like texture, and the paste is very dark in color.

This recipe yields 4 - 6 servings.

Trout Stuffed with Prunes and Pomegranate
- 2 trout fillets of equal size, approx 10 inches long and 0.6 kg total
- 1 cup of curly parsley, finely chopped
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup of pomegranate sauce
- 1/2 cup of prunes & sultana raisins combined (2 parts prune + 1 part raisin), roughly chopped
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C.

2. In a pan with some olive oil, sautee the parsley and scallions for 2 minutes. Add in the pomegranate sauce, prunes, raisins, a dash of salt + pepper, and sautee for 5 minutes. Set aside.

3. In a large baking dish, lay one trout fillet with skin facing down. Spread the pomegranate mixture evenly over top of the trout fillet. Place the second trout fillet on top of the mixture with skin facing up. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven, remove the fish skin, and serve.

The picture below shows four trout fillets. Simply double the recipe to feed more mouths.

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Salade Olivier

My food journey started with this dish. I never used to cook much, and frankly, I didn't really enjoy it. It was about 5 years ago, at my in-laws' house, when I first tried Salade Olivier. I instantly fell in love, and felt compelled to learn how to make it. My mother-in-law did not make this salad much, and I couldn't fathom the fact that it would be months before I would taste it again. I wanted to eat this salad when I wanted, and as much as I wanted. What did I do? I asked my mother-in-law to teach me how to make it. I didn't care how labor intensive it was, I just wanted to learn how to make it.

My mother-in-law was such a joy to cook with that our so-called 'cooking classes' became a regular thing. Through the process, I learned to cook many traditional Persian dishes that utilized unfamiliar techniques and ingredients. This excited me. My time with my mother-in-law opened my eyes to their beautiful culture. More importantly, it was my husband's culture. I am so thankful that I got to spend that time with his mom because I finally understood him in a very personal and unspoken way.
From there, I not only saw food and cooking in a whole different light, but I began to appreciate different cultures for their traditional beauty.

Salade Olivier, also called Russian salad, was invented in the late 1800's by Lucien Olivier, then owner and chef of Moscow's popular Hermitage restaurant. Salade Olivier was considered a signature dish at the Hermitage restaurant, and the complexity of my recipe comes no where close to the original. I read on wiki that the original salad contained ingredients such as veal tongue, crayfish tails, and grouse.

Although this salad originated from Russia, it has become a traditional dish in other parts of the world such as Iran and the Ukraine.

This recipe yields 6-8 servings.

Salade Olivier
- 5 white potatoes
- 3 dill pickles
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 1/2 cup of green peas, frozen
- 3 carrots, peeled
- 1 chicken breast
- 3 eggs
- 4 Tbsp of white vinegar
- 4 Tbsp of light mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp of turmeric
- salt and pepper

Method
1. In a small pot, simmer 2 cups of water with the chicken breast, onion, carrots, turmeric, and some salt for 45 minutes. Allow to cool, and discard the onion. Shred the chicken breast into small pieces with your hands. Cut the carrots into small cubes.

2. In another pot, boil the potatoes and eggs. Remove the eggs after 12 minutes. Remove the potatoes when tender. Crack the eggs, peel them, and cut into small pieces. Peel the potatoes when they have cooled. Cut the potatoes into small pieces.

3. In a small pot, cook the frozen peas according to package instructions. Cut the pickles into small cubes. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, chicken, carrots, pickles, peas, and eggs.

4. In a separate bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking the mayonnaise and vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the dressing to the potato salad, and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

It may not seem as though there is enough dressing at first, but this salad does not need a lot of it. You can eat this salad plain or with bread. My choice is pita bread.

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