Salad Nest - General Principles and Methods of Cooking
Salad in the form of a nest can often be found on a festive table. It can be called differently - the nest of the cuckoo, wood grouse, swallows, etc., it can also be made from different products, but the principle of its design is always the same. Such a salad has the appearance of a bird's nest, in the classic version of a “retinue” of fried potatoes, in which are “eggs” made from certain products. Thanks to his good taste and original appearance, he is always a welcome guest on a festive table.
Because of the fried potatoes present in the salad, it is high in calories. However, there are recipes in which this product is replaced by other, more dietary. We also offer you different recipes of this dish, of which you will most likely be able to choose the one that will most suit your taste preferences and views on food.
Grouse Nest Salad - Food Preparation
As a rule, meat is included in the nest salad. It is pre-boiled in salted water and cut into strips. Also, the ham and vegetables that make up the salad are cut into strips, because we have to “twist” the “nest” out of them.
In the classic salad recipe, the nest is made from chips cut into thin strips (ideally on a special grater). It should be fried in a large amount of oil in small portions, so that the potatoes must turn out to be ruddy and crunchy, so that a nest can be formed from it.
Salad Nest - The Best Recipes
Recipe 1: Salad of capercaillie with roast potatoes, chicken and mushrooms
The perfect salad for the holiday table! It is so tasty and original that it will not leave indifferent even the most sophisticated gourmets. Chicken, ham and potatoes make it very satisfying, pickled mushrooms give it the necessary light zest. Of course, this salad will have to work hard, but believe me, the result is worth it!
Ingredients: 200 gr. chicken meat;
50 gr. ham;
3 egg whites;
200 gr. pickled mushrooms (it is better to take champignons);
3 potatoes;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
to taste salt, pepper,
lettuce leaves.
For eggs:
1 processed cheese;
3 egg yolks;
3 garlic cloves;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
dill,
Cooking Method:
1. Peeling and washing the potatoes, cut them into a very thin straw on a grater and fry in vegetable oil, without stirring, until golden brown appears. Then, turning the potato, fry it on the other side.
2. Boiled chicken meat cut into cubes, ham - thin straws, mushrooms - not too thin slices.
3. Cooking hard-boiled eggs and separating the whites from the yolks, separately rub them on a coarse grater.
4. Cooking "bird eggs". Rub on a coarse grated yolks and melted cheese. Greens, having washed and dried, finely chop. Garlic is chopped through the garlic press. Combining yolks with cheese, greens, garlic and mayonnaise, mix the resulting mass well and form eggs from it.
5. Combine chicken meat, mushrooms, ham, egg whites in a bowl, season with all mayonnaise and mix well.
6. Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves, cover them with the bottom of a flat plate. Then we spread the salad mass on them, forming it in the shape of a nest and making a small depression in the middle. Then we enclose the nest with fried potatoes to imitate the bird's nest.
7. In the deepening of the “nest” put the “eggs” of cheese and decorate the salad with greens.
Recipe 2: Lettuce of wood grouse nest with chicken and grapes
This salad is attractive by an unexpected combination of products (chicken, grapes, celery, hazelnuts), which in fact gives an excellent taste result. Salad is obtained at the same time and nourishing, and not overloaded with calories, as there is no chips in it, as, for example, in the previous recipe.
Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts;
100 gr. celery;
300 gr. grapes;
70 gr. hazelnut;
2 boiled quail eggs;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
several lettuce leaves;
to taste the salt, black pepper, dill.
Cooking Method: 1. Cooked chicken breasts in salted water, cut the meat into strips.
2. Chop the hazelnuts, cut some of the grapes in half and clean the stones. Celery, peeled, cut into small strips.
3. Mix all prepared products in a bowl, salt, pepper and season with mayonnaise, then mix thoroughly and place on a dish, the bottom of which is pre-laid out with leaves of green salad.
4. To make the salad look like a bird's nest, we make a small depression in the center of the hill, decorate the sides with a sprig of grapes.
5. Boil and peel the quail eggs, put them in the hollow of the salad and decorate with a sprig of dill. Then let the salad stand in the fridge for about half an hour and serve.
Recipe 3: Lettuce from the capercaillie nest with sausage and pickled cucumbers
This salad is very nourishing thanks to the sausage, and pickled cucumbers and garlic make it moderately spicy. In general, your guests will surely like its taste, since the products of which it consists are very well combined with each other.
Ingredients:
3 potatoes;
2 carrots;
250 gr. cooked smoked sausage;
4 pickled cucumbers;
5 eggs;
200 gr. cheese;
3 cloves of garlic;
300 gr. mayonnaise;
0.5 cups of sunflower oil.
Cooking Method:
1. Boil the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks, separately rub them on a fine grater.
2. Boil carrots in salted water and chop it into thin straws, also cut sausage and cucumbers.
3. Cut the potatoes into strips, dry them with a paper napkin and fry in vegetable oil so that it becomes ruddy and crispy.
4. Mix the carrots, sausage, cucumbers and potatoes, salt, pepper and fill with mayonnaise, form a “nest” on the dish with a hole in the center.
5. After rubbing the cheese on a fine grater, combine it with the grated egg white, passed through a press with garlic and mayonnaise, then, having carefully mixed, we form the “eggs” and roll them in the yolks. Then we place them in our nest - and the salad can be served on the table.
Recipe 4: Salad Nest with Mango
This salad will certainly appreciate those who are not too welcome meat on his table. It turns out very juicy thanks to mango. An important detail: after cooking the salad needs to be served quickly, as the mango produces a lot of juice. Ingredients:
15 shoots of asparagus;
2 cucumbers;
2 carrots;
8 leaves of green lettuce;
200 gr. white cabbage;
2 mangoes;
8 fruits of prunes without stones;
1 star star;
1 tbsp. l soy sauce;
50 gr. vegetable oil;
juice of 1 lemon;
to taste the salt.
Cooking Method:
1. Cooking hard-boiled eggs and peeling, we pin them with a fork in several places.
2. Brew 3 tsp. tea in 2 cups of boiling water, add salt, soy sauce and star anise star. Putting eggs into this mixture, we keep them there for about an hour.
3. We shred julienne cucumbers, carrots, cabbage.
4. Scalding prunes with boiling water, cooling and drying, cut into pieces.
5. Take out the mango bones, cut it into thin slices. Half lettuce leaves cut into strips.
6. Make sauce for dressing, whipping vegetable oil with lemon juice, salt, sugar and pepper.
7. Lined with the remaining lettuce leaves the bottom of the dish, spread on its edge half of the mango slices, on top - a mixture of prepared vegetables with prunes, giving the salad the shape of a nest having a depression in the center. We put the remaining slices of mango and eggs in this recess, decorate the nest with asparagus shoots. Fill it all with cooked sauce, and the salad can be served on the table.
Salad Nest - useful tips from experienced chefs
If you are preparing a salad for the nest, waiting for guests, then pay attention to the number of “eggs” placed in the nest: it must be no less than the number of participants in the feast so that no one is left out.
If the nest is made of fried potatoes, it is necessary to dry it with a paper towel before frying, otherwise it will not turn out as rosy and crispy as necessary.
