In short: Potato salad with cold-smoked salmon instead of tuna: a gourmet version of the Spanish classic. Boiled potato, mayonnaise with hard-boiled egg, flaked salmon, and decorative roe. 20 min + 2h rest.
Table of contents
What's different from classic potato salad
Classic Spanish "ensaladilla rusa" contains tuna in oil, boiled potato, mayonnaise, peas, carrots, and sometimes olives. The smoked salmon version replaces the tuna with slices of cold-smoked salmon, elevating the dish from a homemade appetizer to a gourmet one.
Smoked salmon provides a silky smoothness (vs. firmer tuna), a distinctive smoky flavor, and an elegant pink color. It's the "celebration" version of potato salad.
Ingredients (4 servings)
- 500 g boiled and cooled potatoes, diced
- 200 g cold-smoked salmon slices
- 150 g mayonnaise (homemade is best)
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 small boiled carrot, diced
- 1 spring onion, very finely chopped
- 50 g salmon roe (for garnish)
- Fresh chives, chopped
- Arbequina EVOO
- Salt, white pepper
- Juice of half a lemon
Step-by-step (20 min + rest)
- Dice the cold, boiled potatoes into small cubes (1 cm).
- Flake the smoked salmon by hand into strips or large pieces. Reserve 50 g for garnish.
- Finely chop 2 hard-boiled eggs. Reserve 1 whole hard-boiled egg for garnish.
- Mix the mayonnaise with the chopped hard-boiled egg, spring onion, lemon juice, salt, and white pepper.
- Combine everything: potato + carrot + smoked salmon + mayonnaise mixture. Mix gently.
- Let rest for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator (preferably 2-3 hours).
- Garnish: serve on a plate, topped with the reserved salmon strips, salmon roe, chopped hard-boiled egg, fresh chives, and a drizzle of EVOO.
Variations
With dill: add fresh chopped dill to the mayonnaise. A Nordic touch.
Without potatoes (low carb): replace potatoes with diced cooked cauliflower.
With apple: add small diced green apple. A modern sweet-and-sour touch.
Premium: replace spring onion with very finely chopped shallot. More elegant.
Bacalalo premium smoked salmon
Norwegian cold-smoked salmon, gourmet quality. The difference between a "good" and a "memorable" potato salad is in the salmon. Artisan selection.
Frequently asked questions
Smoked salmon in slices or flakes?
What type of smoked salmon works best?
Homemade or industrial mayonnaise?
Does it contain peas or not?
How many hard-boiled eggs?
Final garnish?
To conclude
This potato salad with smoked salmon is one of those appetizers that seem complicated but only require good ingredients and 20 minutes of preparation. With quality smoked salmon and roe for garnish, it's on par with any gourmet restaurant.
Salmon roe for garnish
Norwegian salmon roe as a final touch for the potato salad. 10g/diner is sufficient. Adds color and an oceanic "pop."
