Ensaladilla Rusa con Bonito del Norte
Chapter 2: Cold Tapas
In Spain, the true measure of a tapas bar isn't the hanging ham—it's the Ensaladilla Rusa in the glass display case. We borrow a brilliant technique from Madrid's award-winning bars by roasting the potatoes so they stay dense instead of waterlogging the dressing, which we spike with anchovy, sharp pickle brine, and Manzanilla olives, but the non-negotiable soul of this dish is the Bonito del Norte—line-caught Cantabrian tuna packed in rich olive oil. Skip the water-packed tuna, because that oil is the secret ingredient that binds the whole thing together until the fork scrapes the ceramic plate; make it early, let the starches lock in the flavor, and watch a perfect batch justify ordering the second bottle of Albariño.
Before you start
Roast the potatoes and carrots until tender.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce the unpeeled potatoes a few times with a fork and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet alongside the peeled, whole carrots. Remove the carrots when fork-tender after about 30 minutes, and the potatoes after 40 to 50 minutes when a paring knife slides easily into the center. Roasting prevents the potatoes from absorbing water.
Boil the eggs for exactly ten minutes and separate the yolks from the whites.
Cover the eggs with cold water in a saucepan, bring to a rolling boil over high heat, immediately remove from heat, cover, and let sit for exactly ten minutes. Transfer to an ice bath to cool completely. Peel the eggs, finely chop the whites, and reserve the intact yolks in the fridge for the final garnish.
Ingredients
- Yukon Gold or waxy red potatoes1 1/2 lb
- carrots2 med
- eggs4 large
- petite peas1/3 cup
- Bonito del Norte or Ventresca tuna in olive oil7 oz
- Manzanilla or Gordal olives1/4 cup
- piparras or cornichons2 tbsp
- baby capers1 tbsp
- sea salt1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- egg1 large
- neutral oil1 cup
- Arbequina extra virgin olive oil1/4 cup
- premium anchovy fillets2 large
- sherry vinegar1 tbsp
- brine from the olive jar1 tbsp
- brine from the piparra or cornichon jar1 tbsp
- Spanish picos or crostini1 cup
- sweet Pimentón de la Vera1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Peel and dice the cooled potatoes and carrots into a uniform quarter-inch brunoise.
Once the roasted potatoes are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off with your fingers or a paring knife. Dice them neatly and place them in a large mixing bowl with the chopped carrots, egg whites, peas, olives, chopped piparras, and capers.
- 02
Emulsify the raw egg, anchovies, brines, and oils into a highly flavored mayonnaise.
In a tall immersion blender cup, combine the room-temperature raw egg, mashed anchovies, sherry vinegar, olive brine, and pickle brine. In a separate cup, combine the neutral oil, Arbequina olive oil, and the reserved oil from the tuna tin. Plunge the immersion blender to the bottom, turn it on high until a thick white base forms, then slowly pull upward while streaming in the oil mixture.
- 03
Gently fold two-thirds of the mayonnaise and half of the flaked tuna into the vegetable base.
Be gentle here. You want to coat the ingredients luxuriously without mashing the potatoes. The salad should hold its shape on a spoon but not be excessively gloppy. Reserve the largest, most beautiful tuna flakes for the top.
- 04
Chill the salad tightly covered for at least four hours.
Smooth the top of the salad in the bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly against the surface to prevent oxidation. This resting phase is critical to let the starches absorb the complex brines and lock in that true tapas bar flavor.
- 05
Mask the chilled salad with the remaining mayonnaise and garnish for service.
Transfer the salad to a shallow terracotta cazuela or serving bowl. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the reserved mayonnaise over the top. Push the reserved egg yolks through a fine-mesh sieve directly over the salad for a velvet-like golden crust. Nestle the reserved large tuna flakes on top, add a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of sweet Pimentón, and serve immediately with crisp picos.
Notes
Do not compromise on the tuna.
The rich, fatty oil from the Cantabrian Bonito del Norte tin is the secret ingredient that emulsifies into the mayonnaise. Water-packed supermarket tuna will ruin the texture and entirely miss the point of the dish.
Choose your olive oil wisely.
Use a mild, fruity extra virgin olive oil like Arbequina. Peppery, robust oils will turn the mayonnaise bitter and overpower the delicate seafood notes.
Let the salad anchor your cold tapas spread.
Bringing this out cold directly from the fridge buys you the crucial fifteen-minute window needed to execute high-heat, high-focus dishes like patatas bravas or sizzling gambas.