Salad “Khazar”
SALAD “KHAZAR”
In Azerbaijani cuisine, every dish is a masterpiece. I think everyone would agree that even the salads in Azerbaijani cuisine exceed all expectations, in both taste and decor.
One of these masterpieces is a salad dish named “Khazar,” which is Azerbaijani for “Caspian.” This no ordinary salad, it is the pride of Azerbaijan and one of the most expensive salads in the world. It can be served as both an appetizer and a main course.
The Caspian Sea is well known for its famous sturgeon fish and caviar, that is why the salad decorated with sturgeon, salmon, and black and red caviar and named “Khazar,” after the Caspian Sea.
Ingredients for the salad:
3 potatoes
3 fresh cucumbers
a few sprigs of tarragon
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients for decoration:
5-6 portioned pieces of fresh sturgeon file
5-6 slices of smoked salmon and/or sturgeon
a few sprigs of tarragon
red and/or black caviar
green lettuce
1 lemon
1 cucumber
Preparation:
Cut the fillet of fresh sturgeon into pieces, place them into a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove any scum from the surface, add salt and pepper, and cook over low heat, until tender, for about 20 minutes. Allow it to cool before decorating the salad.
Wash the potatoes, place them in a pot, and cover them with cold water. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Then, turn down the heat and boil the potatoes for 30 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in the potato and it goes in easily. Once they’re done, remove a potato from the pot, let it to cool down, and then peel off its skin.
Cut the potatoes and cucumbers into medium size cubes.
Mix the potatoes, cucumbers, tarragon leaves, sour cream, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place the leaves of green lettuce on a serving plate. Then place the potato-cucumber mixture, and decorate with pieces of sturgeon. Place thin, rolled slices of smoked salmon around the salad and fill each roll with caviar.
Garnish with sliced lemon, cucumber, and sprigs of tarragon.
Bon Appétit! Enjoy!
This post is also available in: Russian