Invented around 1864 by Lucien Olivier, a Belgian-French chef running the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow. The original used grouse, crayfish tails, capers, and a secret mayonnaise — a luxury-restaurant dish. After Olivier's death the recipe was reconstructed by his sous-chef Ivan Ivanov, who downgraded the ingredients. The Soviet 1930s version replaced game with bologna and crayfish with pickles; that downgrade is the version everyone now eats.
Lucien Olivier invented it around 1864 at the Hermitage in Moscow — original used grouse and crayfish tails. The Soviet 1930s downgrade swapped game for doktorskaya bologna and crayfish for pickles; that's the version every Russian household serves on December 31.
Diced cooked potato, carrot, hard-boiled egg, pickled cucumber, peas, and either boiled chicken or doktorskaya bologna sausage, all about half-centimeter dice, bound in mayonnaise. Served cold, often by the spoonful onto a plate as a side. Russians call it salat Olivier or simply "the New Year's salad" — it appears on every household table on December 31. The dice has to be uniform; sloppy cuts make a paste.
The vegetables must be boiled whole and in their skins, then peeled and diced after cooling — boiling them already-diced waterlogs the cubes and turns the salad to mush. Mayonnaise goes on within the hour of serving, not earlier; pre-dressed Olivier weeps liquid by the next day. The pickled cucumber is non-negotiable acid: fresh cucumber gives a bland salad.
Variations
Original Hermitage version (grouse, crayfish, capers); Soviet stolichny (chicken, peas, pickles); Ukrainian olivye runs heavier on dill; modern Russian restaurants like Café Pushkin in Moscow serve a luxe restoration with quail and crayfish back in.
On the Palate
Where Olivier Salad sits in the Russian flavor cloud
Boil the potatoes and carrots whole in their skins, then peel and dice them only after they've cooled — diced-then-boiled vegetables waterlog into mush, and the whole point of Olivier is firm, distinct cubes.
Ingredients
How it's made
5 steps · 45 min
- 115 min
Boil potatoes and carrots in a pot of salted water until fork-tender. The vegetables should be soft but not falling apart.
Watch outThe potatoes and carrots are done when a fork slides in easily but they still hold their shape — soft, not falling apart.
- 210 min
Hard-boil the eggs by placing them in a pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes before cooling in ice water.
Watch outEnsure the eggs are fully submerged in water to cook evenly.
- 310 min
Dice the boiled potatoes, carrots, eggs, and pickles into small, uniform pieces. This creates a consistent texture in every bite.
Watch outDice everything to the same small size so each spoonful carries a bit of all of it; uneven cubes make a sloppy salad.
- 45 min
Combine diced vegetables and eggs with peas in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise and gently fold until everything is evenly coated.
Watch outFold gently just until everything wears a light, even coat of mayo — over-mixing crushes the potato and turns it pasty.
- 55 min
Season the salad with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled for flavors to meld and enhance.
Watch outTaste and adjust seasoning before serving to ensure balanced flavors.
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