avg —
Birch Salad with Prunes
Instructions
Gather all the necessary ingredients on a clean work surface for making the Birch salad with prunes. Boil the chicken breast in salted water with the addition of an onion, a few allspice berries and a single bay leaf for flavour. After the meat is fully cooked, let it cool completely in its own broth, since this resting step keeps the meat noticeably juicier than removing it while still hot. Boil the eggs hard in advance.
The prunes for the salad need to be pitted before use, so check carefully and remove any visible stones with the tip of a small sharp knife. Whole pitted prunes work best, since they hold their shape during the brief soaking step that follows in the next part of the recipe.
Pour boiling water over the pitted prunes and let them stand for five to ten minutes to plump up. The brief soak softens the dried fruit and makes it easier to chop neatly into small pieces in the later assembly step of the recipe.
Cut the cooled boiled chicken breast into small even cubes, or alternatively shred the meat into fine fibres with two forks. Both methods work well in this layered salad, with cubed chicken giving a slightly tidier appearance and shredded meat absorbing the dressing more readily.
Finely chop both peeled onions into very small even cubes. Smaller dice releases more flavour into the salad and prevents large raw pieces from dominating any single bite when the dish is later sliced and served at the celebration table.
Cut the cleaned mushrooms into small even cubes as well. Slice a few extra mushroom pieces a little larger and set aside, since these will be used later for the decoration of the finished salad on the serving plate.
Place the chopped mushrooms in a dry preheated frying pan over medium heat. Wait until the mushrooms release their natural water and the moisture evaporates completely from the pan, which usually takes about five to seven minutes of patient gentle cooking.
Add a generous splash of vegetable oil to the dry mushrooms and continue frying for a few more minutes until they take on a golden colour at the edges. Add the chopped onion to the mushrooms in the pan, season with salt and pepper to taste, and continue frying everything together until the onion is fully softened and translucent.
Lift the soaked prunes from the water and lay them out on a clean paper towel to drain and dry properly. Excess moisture from the prunes would otherwise leak into the assembled salad and unbalance the carefully constructed layered structure during the long resting time.
Cut most of the dried prunes into small even cubes for the main filling layer, and reserve a few thin slices intact for the decoration. The whole prune slices will eventually become the bark markings on the trunk of the decorative birch tree on top of the finished salad.
Cut the pickled cucumbers into small even cubes that match the size of the other prepared ingredients. Drain the cucumbers well on a paper towel for several minutes before chopping, since excess brine would quickly waterlog the bottom of the assembled salad and ruin its careful structure.
Grate the hard cheese on the fine side of a box grater. The fine grate produces delicate fluffy ribbons that integrate smoothly into the layered structure of the salad rather than creating thick chunky bands that would disrupt the elegant cross-section.
Carefully separate the boiled eggs into yolks and whites while still cold from the refrigerator. Cold eggs separate more cleanly than warm ones, with the yolks holding their shape better and slipping cleanly out of the surrounding whites without breaking unexpectedly during the process.
Grate the boiled yolks on the fine side of the box grater for a powdery snowy texture, and grate the whites on the coarser side for slightly chunkier strands. Keeping the two egg parts separate at this stage allows you to use them as distinct visual elements in the layered salad later.
Finely chop the green onion tops or chives into small pieces. The fresh green colour of the spring onion will be used to represent the leafy branches of the decorative birch tree on top of the finished salad, so chop neatly for the most attractive appearance.
The salad should be assembled on a large oval serving dish for the most striking visual impact. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise across the bottom of the dish, then arrange the fried mushrooms with onions as the first layer. Pipe a decorative net of mayonnaise over the top using a piping bag.
For the second layer, lay the chopped prunes evenly across the mushroom layer. Do not spread mayonnaise on the prunes at this stage, since the next layer of chicken above will provide the necessary binding without adding excess moisture to the carefully constructed salad.
Distribute the chopped boiled chicken breast evenly across the prune layer in a uniform third band. Pipe another fine decorative net of mayonnaise over the chicken to bind it gently into place and prepare the surface for the next layer above.
The next layer is the chopped pickled cucumbers, distributed evenly across the chicken-and-mayonnaise band below. Follow with another mayonnaise net to bind the cucumber pieces gently into place and provide a smooth surface for the egg layer that comes next.
On top of the cucumber layer, place the grated egg whites and spread them evenly across the entire surface. Press gently with the back of a spoon to settle the whites into place without crushing them into a paste or losing the airy fluffy texture.
Top the egg whites with the grated yolks and a little mayonnaise. The yolks add a beautiful golden contrast against the snowy whites below and the cheese band that comes immediately above in the layered structure of the salad.
The final layer is the grated hard cheese, spread evenly across the very top of the salad. The cheese forms the canvas on which the decorative birch tree will be drawn in the next dramatic decoration step of the recipe.
Now proceed to the iconic decoration of the salad. Using a piping bag fitted with a fine round nozzle, draw the trunk and branches of the birch tree across the cheese surface using more mayonnaise. Place the reserved thin slices of prune horizontally across the trunk to create the characteristic black bark markings, and randomly scatter the chopped green onion across the branches to suggest leaves.
At the base of the decorative birch, arrange the reserved sliced mushrooms, a few chopped onion feathers and a small bunch of fresh parsley leaves to suggest a forest glade scene. The Birch salad with prunes is now complete. Place the assembled dish in the refrigerator for two hours to steep before serving. Bon appetit!
Советы и хитрости
- 1
Boil the chicken breast in well-flavoured aromatic water with onion, bay leaf and a few peppercorns for the most tender flavourful meat in the finished salad. Always allow the cooked breast to cool completely in its own broth rather than removing it while still hot, since the resting step lets the meat reabsorb juices that would otherwise drain away on the cutting board and produces noticeably juicier chicken in the finished celebration salad.
- 2
Choose pitted prunes rather than ones with the stones still inside, since prepitting them yourself is fiddly tedious work that risks damaging the dried fruit. To pair this dramatic celebration salad with another properly traditional Slavic festive dish, try our beautifully tender aspic of pork tongue with gelatin as a stunning twin-centrepiece spread on the same buffet table.
- 3
Take your time over the decorative birch tree pattern on top of the salad, since the visual presentation is genuinely what makes this dish a true celebration centrepiece. A piping bag fitted with a fine round nozzle gives the cleanest most professional-looking lines, while reserving a few intact prune slices for the bark markings completes the iconic appearance that gives the salad its evocative name.
- 4
Allow the assembled salad to rest in the refrigerator for the full two hours called for in the recipe, since the resting time allows all the flavours to merge into the harmonious whole that defines this dish. For another beautifully layered salad to add variety to the celebration menu, try our colourful Lady's Caprice salad with chicken and pineapples.
Часто задаваемые вопросы
Can I substitute other dried fruits for prunes? +
Yes, dried apricots, dried cranberries, dried sour cherries and even chopped dates all work as substitutes for prunes in this layered salad. Each fruit brings its own slightly different flavour profile and colour to the finished dish. Whichever substitute you choose, soak the dried fruit briefly in boiling water first to plump it up, then drain thoroughly on paper towel before chopping. The decorative bark markings on top will work with any darker dried fruit slice.
What kinds of mushrooms work best in this salad? +
White button champignons are the traditional choice for this Russian-style salad and produce the most authentic flavour. Brown chestnut mushrooms add a slightly deeper earthier note, while wild mushrooms such as porcini, chanterelle or honey mushrooms turn the dish into something genuinely special for true mushroom lovers. Whichever variety you choose, always cook the mushrooms in a dry pan first to evaporate their natural water before adding the oil and onions for proper browning.
How long does this salad keep? +
Store the assembled salad covered tightly with cling film in the refrigerator for up to two full days for best results. The flavours actually improve significantly on the second day as the layers settle and the mayonnaise softens the cooked ingredients into a beautifully harmonious whole. After two days the texture begins to suffer noticeably and the decorative birch tree pattern on top loses its sharp definition, so plan to assemble the day before serving for the best appearance.
Can I make this salad in individual portions? +
Absolutely. Simply use small individual pastry rings or tall glass tumblers in place of the large oval serving dish, and build up the layers in miniature exactly as described in the main recipe. Individual portions look elegant and reduce the awkward serving step at the table, since each guest receives their own perfectly formed mini-salad. The decorative birch tree pattern will need to be much smaller, but the overall effect remains genuinely impressive.
- Comment
or post as a guest
Be the first to comment.
