Romanian Beef Salad (Salată de Boeuf)
Salată de boeuf Say it: sah-LAH-tuh deh boh-EHF
Salată de boeuf is the chilled, spoonable centerpiece that appears on Romanian holiday tables from Christmas and New Year through Easter and family gatherings. Its appeal lies in contrast: sweet root vegetables, tangy pickles, peas, and tender boiled beef all cut to a neat, even dice, then held together by a mustard-scented mayonnaise. The salad firms up in the refrigerator, so it is a practical dish to prepare ahead; the top is decorated just before it goes to the table. The French name points to an elegant background, while the careful, uniform cutting gives the salad its refined texture.
Romanian Beef Salad (Salată de Boeuf)
Salată de boeuf
Pronounced sah-LAH-tuh deh boh-EHF
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 3 hr
- Total
- 3 hr 40 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains egg, mustard, celery. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the salad base
For the seasoned mayonnaise
For boiling
Method
Put the beef in a large pot with 4 quarts (3.8 L) water and 1/2 tablespoon salt. Heat to a boil, removing the foam that rises. Turn the heat down to a low simmer and add the onion, carrots, parsnip, celery root and parsley root. Cook the roots for 30–45 minutes, taking each one out to a plate once a fork slides in easily. Keep the beef simmering until completely tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours in total. Lift it out with a slotted spoon, remove any bone and gristle, and leave to cool.
While that cooks, put the scrubbed potatoes in another pot, add salted water to cover, and boil them for 25–35 minutes, until a knife goes in without resistance. Drain, cool and peel. If using fresh or frozen peas, boil them in salted water for 2–4 minutes until just tender, then drain.
In a medium bowl, mix 1 cup (230 g) of the mayonnaise with the mustard and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Sample it and stir in the rest of the lemon juice if you want a sharper finish. Keep the last 2 tablespoons mayonnaise aside for the top.
Dice the cooled beef into pieces about the size of the peas, or slightly bigger. Cut the potatoes, carrots, parsnip, celery root, parsley root and gherkins into pieces of the same small, even size. Throw away the boiled onion. Put all of this into a large bowl with the peas.
Use a spatula to fold the seasoned mayonnaise through the diced mixture until every piece is coated. Taste, then correct the salt, white pepper or lemon juice as needed.
Spoon the salad onto a platter or into a shallow bowl, flatten the surface with a spatula, and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight, so the flavors come together.
Just before serving, spread or pipe the reserved 2 tablespoons mayonnaise over the salad and add any decoration you like: sliced gherkins, cooked carrot rounds, peas or fresh parsley. Serve chilled.
Regional variant: Chicken salad (Salată de pui)
For a lighter version, use the same weight of boneless chicken breast or turkey breast in place of the beef. Poach it with the same root vegetables in lightly salted water until just cooked through, 20–25 minutes. Dice it and follow the method above; the cooking is much quicker and the result is milder. A finely diced apple or a chopped hard-boiled egg is sometimes added, though the classic chicken salad keeps the same pickles and seasoned mayonnaise.
Cook's notes
- Cut everything to a pea-sized dice; that uniform cut is what gives the salad its fine texture.
- Keep the broth from the beef and vegetables for soup, or freeze it in portions.
- A pressure cooker can cut the beef cooking time: for shank or short ribs, 40–60 minutes once pressure is reached is often enough.
Serve with
Offer it cold as an appetizer on a platter with fresh bread or toast, alongside other holiday salads and cold meats.
Make ahead and storage
Chill for at least 3 hours or overnight; it keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Put the decorative mayonnaise on just before serving.
