Namely, me and my husband, we were at a diner party at our friend's house a while ago, and there were couple of delectable cream salads among other delicacies. Then, a girl came to the table and asked her mum for some cream salad, saying clearly "... but not the one with the mayo!" (I guess she knew there's always some with mayo, haha!) Her mom offered her another one, stating it was with sour cream only, but she encountered another "no" for an answer. "Those with dairy are yucky!", the girl refused again. "Well, that's all I can get!" - said the mom - "It's mayo or sour cream, you have to use one of those to bond the ingredients."
So, the girl took something else to eat, and I couldn't help myself from wondering if it's really the choice between those two. Later, when we came home, I leafed through my cookbook only to confirm the mom's comment - it was always mayo or sour cream (or perhaps a combination of the two). Well, occasionally it was yogurt, but it was still within the definition of "yucky dairy".
Think, think, think! Is there something else you can use to make some cool, tasty, not-yucky, EDIBLE cream salad? Sorry, I can't think of anything! |
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I knew I need something sourish to refresh the combination, so the first thing that came to my mind were pickled cucumbers... Then I needed something to add some colors, but still keep it simple, as the pâte itself contains quite a lot of different ingredients and flavors. The final result was an amazingly delectable salad! Unfortunately, seduced by the unforgettable flavor, I forgot to take some pictures!
I've made it several times since, but I've always been in a hurry, so I never managed to take some fairly good photo. However, this time I prepared it specifically to share it with you here.
I have to say we've approved two versions of this salad so far. The first one is the one with the chicken pâte I mentioned above, and the other one is the one I will share with you now, made with pork liver pâte. I like the chicken version far better, but it's maybe because I loathe liver... :)
Still, other people who tried it and gave an unbiased opinion, said that the liver version has "heavier and stronger flavor and aroma", while the one with the chicken is "lighter, pleasanter and more acceptable".
Though at the beginning the only difference between them was the choice of pâte, they gradually became quite different as I started using totally different additional ingredients.
And one last thing before I continue to the recipe... I used some store-bought liver pâte, as I really can't stand the odor of liver while cooking, but you can use some homemade pâte if you wish. As for the chicken pâte I used, I promise to share the recipe with you as soon as I prepare it again!
Now, let's see the list of ingredients:
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- Bring some water to boiling. Add diced carrot and a pinch of salt and boil it until soft, but still firm. Drain well and let it cool completely.
If you want your salad to be extra crunchy, you can skip the boiling part and just add diced fresh carrots. - Whisk together pâte and mustard until the mixture becomes homogeneous, creamy and soft, as shown in the photo below.
- Then, add diced pickles and carrots, finely chopped parsley and red pepper flakes. Season with some pepper and some salt, if needed.
Note that you should store this salad sealed into plastic box or tightly covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying and getting a dark crust.
Enjoy and bon appétit!