Salată de Boeuf — Romanian Beef and Vegetable Salad

A layered holiday salad found at every Romanian Christmas, New Year, and Easter table — diced boiled
beef, carrots, potatoes, peas, pickles, bound with homemade mayonnaise and decorated elaborately on
a flat platter. Despite the French-sounding name, salată de boeuf is entirely Romanian in style.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (beef, eggs in mayonnaise, optional hard-boiled eggs)

SERVINGS: 10
TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus 4 hours chilling)

INGREDIENTS:
For the salad:
- 500 g beef brisket or chuck, boiled until tender (about 2 hours), cooled, diced small
- 3 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled, diced small
- 3 large carrots, boiled, diced small
- 1 small celeriac, boiled, diced small
- 1 (400 g) can green peas, drained
- 6 brined pickles (not vinegar), finely diced
- 150 g canned red bell pepper or gogoşari (marinated Romanian peppers), diced
- 4 tablespoons capers or chopped olives

For the mayonnaise:
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 400 ml sunflower oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- Juice of 0.5 lemon
- Salt

For garnishing:
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
- Chopped parsley
- Sliced pickles
- Sliced olives
- Canned red bell pepper strips

METHOD:
1. Boil beef gently in salted water with bay leaves and peppercorns for 2 hours until fork-tender. Cool completely. Dice into 7 mm cubes.
2. Boil potatoes, carrots, and celeriac separately until fork-tender. Cool and dice to match the beef.
3. Uniformity is key. Every ingredient diced to roughly the same size — this is Romanian cooks' signature.
4. Make mayonnaise: whisk egg yolks with mustard and salt. Drizzle in oil very slowly while whisking constantly. When thick, whisk in vinegar and lemon juice.
5. In a large bowl, combine all diced vegetables, beef, peas, pickles, peppers, and capers.
6. Fold in mayonnaise gradually. The salad should be well-coated but not swimming. Reserve some mayonnaise for decorating.
7. Transfer to a flat round serving platter. Shape into a dome or flat disc.
8. Smooth the top with a spatula. Cover completely with a thin layer of reserved mayonnaise — the "frosting."
9. Decorate elaborately (this is the Romanian point): sliced egg rings, parsley, sliced olives, strips of red pepper in a geometric pattern — flowers, crosses, stars.
10. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Flavours must meld.

NOTES:
- This salad is ceremony. The decoration is part of the gift. Old Romanian households compete for the most elaborate design.
- Homemade mayonnaise is traditional and non-negotiable. Jarred mayonnaise is considered a compromise.
- Each element MUST be diced uniformly. Take the time — this is what distinguishes a great boeuf salad from a mediocre one.
- Leftovers keep 3 days. Do not freeze.

NUTRITION (per serving, approximate):
Calories: 440 | Protein: 16 g | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Fat: 32 g | Fibre: 4 g