Hake roe and asparagus salad, surprise everyone!

Total: 50 min Diners: 4

I meet throughout my life with people who love or hate mayonnaise, there is no middle ground. And also, as a consequence, with people who love or hate Russian salad; although there are more of us who love it and ask for it wherever we go. In my case, the Russian salad is one of those dishes rooted in the family that we can only adore because we loved to have a tray in the fridge and go stealing spoonfuls at unearthly hours.

A lot has already been said about the Russian salad, one of the most traditional dishes in Spain, and although everyone considers canonical that of their home, in reality the salad was born as an infinite mixture of noble ingredients; it was a festive dish. So we can consider it a fantastic recipe for making the most of it in which, in my opinion, you can never miss the potato, the egg or the mayonnaise. The rest, to the taste of each one.

I love, for example, the Russian salad with sea urchins that give a fantastic iodized and sweet point but also the Russian salad that was champion in the last contest of San Sebastian Gastronomika 2020, that in which the coloraillos and garlic appear and that signs the team of Chin Chin Puerto (Caleta Velez Malaga). But I also think the version of Suculent (Barcelona), that potato salad with straw and beans, or the smoked salad that made famous the restaurant Hevia (Madrid). Of course, I am inflexible on one thing: the mayonnaise has to be homemade.

Hake roe salad

Medium potato, 3 pc Eggs, 3 pc Thick green asparagus, 6/8 pc Cooked hake roe, 100 g Anchovy-stuffed olives, 70 g Salt, c/s

For the mayonnaise

Egg, 1 pc Mild olive oil, 200 ml Lemon juice, a few drops Salt, c/s

Step 1

The first thing, because it takes the longest, is to cook the potatoes. I like to cook them in their skins because that way they don’t absorb so much water and, of course, always whole and not already cut. We could also do them in the microwave, covered with plastic wrap in a container with a little water, or also confit them at a very low temperature in oil to achieve other results. In this last case, we would peel them and cut them into pieces. The potatoes will take about 20-30 minutes to cook, we will have to prick them from time to time until they are tender in the center. Be careful that they don’t fall apart because if we overcook them it can happen.

Step 2

While the potatoes are cooking we will have to cook the eggs too, 10 minutes in boiling water but very soft, so they don’t burst. When the time is over, the eggs must be cooled quickly in a bowl with water and ice, so that the yolk does not turn gray. When they are cold, peel the eggs.

Step 3

In the last minutes of cooking the potato, in the same water, we can cook a couple of minutes the asparagus, just to break the raw point but do not lose the intense green color.

Step 4

While the potatoes and asparagus cool slightly, chop the hake roe and also the anchovy-stuffed olives.

Step 5

Make the mayonnaise by placing the egg in the bottom of the blender and covering it with oil. Operate the mixer without moving it from the bottom of the glass, at minimum speed, and when we see that the emulsion below is already done go up the mixer very little by little, so that the oil goes into the emulsion slowly. When finished, add salt and a little lemon or vinegar, to taste.

Step 6

Mash some hake roe and mix it with the mayonnaise, so that it acquires the flavor of the roe. Also chop the asparagus.

Step 7

With the potatoes still warm but not hot, peel them and mash them together with the eggs, I like to do it with a fork directly. I like to do it with a fork directly, so that there are chunks but no bites in the potato. I mash it all together.

Step 8

When the potato and egg are already mashed for the salad, mix with the chopped asparagus, olives, roe and mayonnaise. Add enough mayonnaise to cover the salad. Add enough mayonnaise to make it creamy. Personally, I like it with enough mayonnaise. Finish on top with a few more roe and the asparagus tips. Ah, the salad is at its best when it is freshly made, without having to go through the fridge.