Salată de Boeuf (Romanian Beef Salad)

Ingredients

• •1 kg (2 lb 3 oz ) potatoes (any variety, though some prefer red)
• •350 g (12 oz) carrots , peeled and diced in 1 cm cubes
• •350 g boiled beef , cut in 1 cm cubes
• •1 can of peas or 300 g (10.5 oz) fresh peas
• •350 g pickled dill gherkins (not too sweet and very firm), diced in 1 cm cubes
• •2 hard boiled eggs , yolks removed
• •1 fresh egg yolk
• •250 ml (8.5 oz) canola or vegetable oil
• •1 lemon , juiced
• •1 tsp (5 ml) French mustard
• •Boiled egg white , sliced into long thin strips
• •Gherkins, sliced into long thin strips
• •Pickled red peppers , sliced into long thin strips
• •Sliced black olives

Instructions

1. 1Boil the potatoes gently in their skins until tender. Cool, then remove the skins.
2. 2Boil the carrots until tender.
3. 3Gently boil the beef for 1 hour.
4. 4If using fresh peas, boil or steam them well.
5. 5Cube the potatoes, carrots, and beef about 5 mm across—essentially, everything should be about the size of the peas.
6. 6Cut the gherkins very finely by cutting 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick slices and then cutting them at 3 mm intervals again along the length and width.
7. 7Fold everything together gently. Do not season.
8. 8Beat the cooked egg yolks and the raw yolk until well mixed.
9. 9Slowly add the oil while beating the eggs until they start to thicken and form a mayonnaise.
10. 10Add the juice of the lemon and the mustard.
11. 11Reserve a small quantity of mayonnaise for garnish.
12. 12Fold the rest of the mayonnaise into the cubed meat and vegetables, making a nice consistency where the ingredients are well covered in mayonnaise but not suspended in it.
13. 13Season with salt and pepper .
14. 14Place the salata de boeuf into one large or several smaller bowls.
15. 15Spread reserved mayonnaise over the top and garnish with the garnishes, arranging them in attractive shapes.