How to make an insanely delicious Huzaren salad yourself

Huzaren salad has achieved quite cult status these days, while in the past the dish was a fixture at parties and gatherings. Because of that cult status, more and more bizarre Huzaren salads are also appearing in supermarkets, such as ones with croquette and frikandel. Fortunately, there are still places that hold the originally Russian potato salad dear and make it the way the classic is supposed to taste. The peas are a typically Dutch addition, but be honest: have you ever eaten a Huzaren salad without them? And after this, you’ll never buy another obscure tub from the supermarket again, promise!

How to make a Huzaren salad

• Bring approx. 500 milliliters of water to the boil in a pan over high heat. Lower the heat and add the beef blade steaks, bay leaf, clove and onion. Cook the beef blade steaks for approx. 2 hours until tender. Drain the meat briefly and finely chop.
• Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs in boiling water for approx. 8 minutes. Cool the eggs under cold running water, then peel and halve them. Cook the potato cubes in as little salted water as possible for approx. 5 minutes until al dente. Drain and allow to steam-dry briefly.
• Mix the potato with the meat, apple, gherkin, peas and onion. Stir in 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise and the mustard. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange 8 leaves of butterhead lettuce over an oval serving dish. Spoon the Huzaren salad on top and smooth it with the rounded side of a damp spoon. Thin the remaining mayonnaise with a splash of water and spread it over the Huzaren salad. Arrange the eggs on top, cut side down, and sprinkle with paprika. Garnish the dish with the sour cornichons and Amsterdam onions and serve.

Tip: strain the cooking liquid from the beef blade steaks and store it in a sealable container in the freezer: you can use it to make the most delicious croquettes.

WINE TIP: Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2019
A good, homemade Huzaren salad is an explosion of flavor in your mouth. Soft from the potato, refreshingly sour from the gherkin and cornichons, creamy from the mayonnaise and a little meaty. You need a wine that can provide some counterbalance. Sauvignon Blanc is such a wine. As befits a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, it is fragrant, expressive and slightly tropical. Plenty of citrus and acidity with a bite that cuts effortlessly through the fatty and refreshingly sour Huzaren salad. A match made in heaven! Twin Islands Sauvignon Blanc is available from Wijnkring and costs €11.95.

• We tried the Huzaren salads in the ‘croquette’ and ‘frikandel’ flavors and this is what we thought
• Snacking according to your zodiac sign
• These classic salads are so easy to make