If there’s one thing I love it’s appetizers and finger food. If it were up to me I’d base my dinner only on them — being able to taste many different things in the same meal is a delight for the palate and as my husband always says: I’m not for the big single-plate trucker portion of just one thing!!! For this reason I always try to “reduce” to tasting portions whatever I prepare. For this recipe I made an evergreen: Russian salad served in small brisée pastry boats, which give a bit of crunch to this classic appetizer that dates back to my grandmother’s time. Every family obviously has its own version of Russian salad and they’re all delicious; this is mine. You can serve it as an appetizer for the buffet at the upcoming Christmas festivities — it will be a treat few will be able to resist! I will also show you how to make brisée pastry at home which, contrary to what you might think, is really easy — just follow a few important steps. In the tips you’ll also find a quick version for those with little time.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Cooking time: 25 Minutes
- Portions: about 12 pieces
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp Butter (cold)
- 1 2/3 cups 00 flour (type 00)
- 3 1/2 tbsp Water (cold (ideally iced))
- to taste Salt
- 1.1 lb Potatoes
- 2 cups Peas
- 2 cups Carrots
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp White wine vinegar
- to taste Salt
- 2 Egg yolks
- 1 cup Vegetable oil (about 250 ml)
- 1 Lemon (juice, strained)
- to taste Salt
Preparation
First, let’s prepare the brisée pastry. Put the flour, the butter (which must be absolutely cold from the fridge), and a pinch of salt into the food processor with the blade and pulse for a few seconds. Then add the water (which should also be cold — preferably iced) and continue to blend for about 2 minutes. You will see a smooth, compact dough form. Your brisée pastry is ready! Take it out of the processor, quickly knead it by hand to shape it into a small loaf, and wrap it in cling film. Let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before using it. After resting, roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch using a rolling pin. Place the appropriate cutters on top to cut the pastry needed to line the molds. Put the pastry into each mold and press lightly so it adheres well. Trim the excess pastry with a small knife. Finally, prick the bottom with the tines of a fork. Bake in a preheated static oven at 374°F for about 10–15 minutes (they should be lightly golden). Once baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool.
Meanwhile, dice all the vegetables into small, preferably uniform, cubes. Boil them separately because they have different cooking times (potatoes about 10 minutes, peas about 8 minutes, carrots about 6–7 minutes). The vegetables should be cooked but not falling apart. When done, drain them, put them in a bowl, season with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of white wine vinegar, adjust salt to taste, and let them cool.
Now prepare the mayonnaise. It may seem tedious, but I assure you that making it at home rather than buying it really makes a difference.
In the beaker of an immersion blender (or with a whisk in a bowl) put 2 egg yolks (they must be at room temperature otherwise the mayonnaise won’t emulsify) and start whisking with the juice of 1/2 lemon (strained) (or 1 tsp of white vinegar) and a pinch of salt. After about 1 minute, begin to pour the vegetable oil in a thin stream while continuing to whisk at low speed. Continue until the sauce becomes thick and smooth.Combine the mayonnaise with the vegetables, which by now will have cooled, and mix well with a spoon. Refrigerate covered with cling film before using.
Take the brisée pastry boats, which will have cooled, and fill them with the prepared Russian salad using a small spoon.
Garnish with chives or crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk. Arrange on a serving plate and serve at room temperature.
Notes
If you have little time or don’t feel like making everything from scratch, you can buy ready-made brisée pastry (you can find it in the refrigerated section of supermarkets) and pre-made mayonnaise. Likewise, you can use frozen carrots and peas. This will greatly reduce preparation time, although I must be honest: the result is not exactly the same, but sometimes necessity is the mother of invention!
