Huzarensalade: Dutch Potato Salad

Huzarensalade is often served as a side dish at Dutch barbecues and is a popular garnished buffet dish at Christmas parties or New Year’s Eve. Similar to Olivier salad and Russian salad (but not the same), Huzarensalade is named after the Hungarian light cavalry, the Hussars. They made this salad during missions behind enemy lines, mixing precooked food on the spot to avoid making fires and being detected by the enemy.

The ingredients for Huzarensalade are somewhat controversial, but it typically includes cubes of potato, cooked beef or veal, apple, gherkin, and onion, dressed with vinaigrette and served with garnish, mayonnaise, and toast.

I personally prefer slightly floury potatoes for a nicer texture, but they can make the salad delicate and prone to becoming mushy when mixed. If you’re making a large portion or worried about this, use waxy potatoes instead. You can also use various meats—traditional cooked beef or veal, leftovers like chicken or pork, or even pre-sliced cooked meat. Precise slicing and delicate mixing will elevate this salad to an almost posh looking dish.

Garnishing can be creative: often placed on a bed of lettuce leaves and shaped into an oval, the top is covered with mayonnaise and the edges decorated with tomato, cucumber, cooked eggs, gherkins, pickled onions, curly parsley, cooked meat rolls, deviled eggs, filled cherry tomatoes, and more.

How to Make Huzarensalade: Dutch Potato Salad

Prepare the Ingredients:

Cook the Potatoes:

• Peel the potatoes and quarter the large ones, leaving small ones whole.
• Place them in a large pot, cover with water, and season with salt.
• Bring to a boil and cook until tender (test by pricking with a knife; if it slides in easily, they are done).
• Drain and let them cool until you can handle them comfortably.

Dice the Vegetables:

• While the potatoes cool, finely dice the gherkins and shallots into 0.25 cm cubes.
• Dice the carrots and cooked meat into 0.5 cm cubes.

Cook the Carrots and Peas:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
• Add the diced carrot and cook for 30 seconds, then add the frozen peas and cook for another 15 seconds.
• Drain immediately and set aside in a bowl.

Make the Sauce:

Combine Ingredients:

• In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the gherkin juice.
• Season generously with salt and pepper.

Assemble the Salad:

Cube the Potatoes:

• Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1 cm cubes.

Mix Everything Together:

• In a large bowl, combine the potato cubes, diced gherkins, shallots, carrots, peas, and diced meat.
• Pour the mayonnaise sauce over the mixture and gently mix until everything is evenly coated.

Serve:

Garnish and Present:

• Transfer the salad to a serving dish.
• Garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and extra gherkins if desired.
• Serve immediately while slightly warm, or refrigerate and serve cold (note: serving cold may reduce the intensity of flavors).

Notes:

• Potatoes: For best results, use waxy potatoes that hold their shape after cooking.
• Gherkin Juice: Adds a tangy flavor to the mayonnaise. Adjust the amount to your taste.
• Serving Temperature: Serving the salad slightly warm allows the potatoes to absorb more flavor from the dressing.
• Variations: Feel free to add other vegetables such as green beans or apple slices for added texture and flavor.

Huzarensalade: Dutch Potato Salad

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 6 reviews

• Author: Ena Scheerstra
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6
• Diet: Omnivore

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Description

A delicate Dutch potato salad, perfect for summer picnics or as a buffet side. Creamy, tangy, and satisfying.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 lbs (1 kg) potatoes
• 6 large gherkins
• 1/3 cup carrot, finely diced
• 2 large shallots
• 2 lbs (200 g) cooked beef or veal, diced
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 8 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons gherkin juice (from the gherkin jar)
• Salt
• pepper
• Hard-boiled eggs, halved or quartered
• Cherry tomatoes, halved
• Fresh parsley, chopped
• Extra gherkins, sliced

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Instructions

1. Prepare the Ingredients:
2. Cook the Potatoes:
3. Peel the potatoes and quarter the large ones, leaving small ones whole. Place them in a large pot, cover with water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender (test by pricking with a knife; if it slides in easily, they are done). Drain and let them cool until you can handle them comfortably.
4. Dice the Vegetables:
5. While the potatoes cool, finely dice the gherkins and shallots into 0.25 cm cubes. Dice the carrots and cooked meat into 0.5 cm cubes.
6. Cook the Carrots and Peas:
7. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the diced carrot and cook for 30 seconds, then add the frozen peas and cook for another 15 seconds. Drain immediately and set aside in a bowl.
8. Make the Sauce:
9. Combine Ingredients:
10. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the gherkin juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.
11. Assemble the Salad:
12. Cube the Potatoes:
13. Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into 1 cm cubes.
14. Mix Everything Together:
15. In a large bowl, combine the potato cubes, diced gherkins, shallots, carrots, peas, and diced meat. Pour the mayonnaise sauce over the mixture and gently mix until everything is evenly coated.
16. Serve:
17. Garnish and Present:
18. Transfer the salad to a serving dish. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped parsley, and extra gherkins if desired. Serve immediately while slightly warm, or refrigerate and serve cold (note: serving cold may reduce the intensity of flavors).

Notes

• For optimal flavor, use freshly boiled potatoes still slightly warm when mixing the salad.
• To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute the cooked beef or veal with roasted vegetables like bell peppers and zucchini.
• Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; the flavors will meld beautifully overnight.

• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: No-Cook
• Cuisine: Dutch

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1.5 cups
• Calories: 350
• Sugar: 5
• Sodium: 400
• Fat: 25
• Saturated Fat: 10
• Unsaturated Fat: 10
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 30
• Fiber: 5
• Protein: 15
• Cholesterol: 50

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