Insalata Russa with Tuna, a Classic Italian Holiday Appetizer

Insalata Russa with Tuna, a Classic Italian Holiday Appetizer. I cannot remember a Christmas or New Year's Eve without this salad gracing our table. Made of boiled potatoes, carrot, and peas, with tuna and boiled eggs, it is mixed with mayonnaise and then shaped and decorated. Hope you give this recipe a try, it is a great cold appetizer for any holiday gatherings.

Song of the day: Merry Christmas - Ed Sheeran, Elton John

Insalata Russa, the origins

The traditional Insalata Russa is a classic cold appetizer made of boiled vegetables and mayonnaise, of very uncertain origins. Although Insalata Russa translates into Russian Salad, there, the -more or less- same salad is called Olivier Salad from the Russian chef who seems to have invented it and served it at his restaurant in Moscow, with slightly different ingredients. Another story tells that this salad actually originates in Piedmont, at the Royal House of Savoy, during the visit of the Russian tsar (czar). It was first made with whipped cream instead of mayo to resemble the snow. It seems like the tsar loved the salad so much that he brought the recipe to Russia changing the whipped cream to mayonnaise. From there, it spread all over Europe where it is called Olivier Salad, Italian Salad, French Salad, or Salade Piémontaise.

Insalata Russa with Tuna, a Classic Italian Holiday Appetizer

Indeed, Insalata russa with tuna and boiled eggs has been on our Italian holiday table since I can remember. My aunt Teresa was the one who would make it every year, the same aunt that would make the delicious Struffoli and the impressive Stella di Pandoro. If, for some reason, she could not make it, we would get it store bought from the local deli. Certainly, it was not the same, mostly because in the store-bought version they like to cover the Insalata Russa in gelatin and nobody liked that. 'Why would you buy it, then'?, I hear you asking. Because it would not have been Christmas without it.

To recreate those memories, I decided to get Loreto on board, and present Insalata Russa with Tuna on our Christmas Eve table.

If you like potato salad, it is very similar, but more delicate.

Ingredients

• Potatoes and carrots. Diced and boiled.
• Frozen or fresh peas. Boiled with the potatoes and carrots.
• Sugar and white vinegar, when boiling the veggies.
• Eggs, boiled: 2 minced for the inside, 1 sliced for garnish.
• Good quality oil-packed tuna. Italians prefer it to the water-pack since it's more flavorful.
• Pickles. Optional, they add a nice umami.
• Mayonnaise. We like to use an olive oil mayo. You could make homemade mayonnaise, if you wish so.
• Mustard. To mix with the mayo for a little zing.
• Salt and pepper. Taste the mix for seasoning, then adjust.
• Chives, optional, chopped, for decoration.
• Paprika for the sliced eggs on the top.
• Olives, green or black, optional. Cut into rounds, for decoration.

How to prepare Insalata Russa with Tuna, a Classic Italian Holiday Appetizer

In the end, making Insalata russa is quite simple, you just need some time for all the prep work, then it is just a matter of assembling it. Insalata Russa with Tuna tastes better with time, so you can make it up to two days ahead. This will save you some time for the big day.

Let's break up the preparation into steps. Full recipe is at the bottom of the post, in the recipe card.

Vegetables

1. Wash carrots and potatoes. Peel them and cut them into small cubes. Rinse frozen peas under cold water.
2. On the stove put a large pot of salted water on boil. Add the white vinegar and sugar. When it starts to boil, add the cubed carrot, potatoes, and the peas. When it starts to boil again, cook for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender but hold their shape. Drain well and let cool.
3. Place in a large bowl and taste for seasoning. Adjust with salt and pepper.

Eggs

1. In a medium pot add cold water and the eggs. Bring to a boil on medium heat and once the boiling starts, cook for 9 minutes. Rinse the eggs with cold water, peel, and set aside.
2. Take two of the eggs and finely mince. Slice the other egg with an egg slicer, you will need it for the decoration.

Tuna

1. Take the tuna out of the oil, making sure to drain any excess oil well, and shred with a fork. Set aside.

Pickles

1. Sliver pickles and finely chop. Set aside.

Mayo

1. In a bowl, mix 250 g of the mayo with the mustard and reserve the rest of the mayo for the top.

Assemble

1. In the bowl with the vegetables, add the shredded tuna, the minced eggs, and the finely chopped pickles. Give it a toss. Add the mayo/mustard mixture and blend with a spoon until well incorporated. Try not to break up the veggies.
2. Spoon mixture onto a serving platter, round or oval, and smoothen it out into a dome shape.
3. Take the remaining mayo and slather it with a spatula over the top and sides.
4. Decorate with the sliced boiled egg, chopped chives, and a sprinkle of paprika on the eggs.
5. Place in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for at least 1 hour. You can make it up to two days ahead. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Variations and substitutions

As a matter of fact, in Italy there are various ways to make Insalata Russa, according to Region and to family recipes. The main variation is the Insalata Russa without tuna or eggs. While the common parts are the boiled potatoes, carrots, and peas, some may add chopped green beans, some may add chopped shrimp to the mix and on top. When in a pinch for thime, my aunt Teresa uses the Giardiniera (the Italian relish of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil), drained, instead of the boiled veggies.

As for the decoration, my aunt likes to add wurstels (European wieners) cut into small rounds, together with black olives rounds, and pickles.

The shape also varies, some do wreaths, some round domes, some also shape it into a fish. You could also do small individual servings using ramekins or small bowls to shape the Insalata Russa.

Merry Christmas, Buon Natale, from us!

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