A couple of weeks ago I was sitting on the balcony, with my laptop working on a blogpost. Suddenly I heard somebody calling:
“Hello!”
“Hello!”
“Heeelllooooohooo!”
I sat still and looked around. There was nobody I could see from where I sat. So it sure wasn’t for me. I wasn’t expecting visitors and nobody could see me from down the street because we have an enclosed balcony.
So I ignored it.
But then, a week later it was the same voice:
“Hello!”
“Helloooohooo!”
“You, on the balcony!”
From where I sat I couldn’t see any other neighbors on their balconies, so maybe this person wás calling me after all? But how could he see me? Strange!
So I got up and looked down. The man introduced himself as our neighbor from the opposite building. And he told me our lights in the evening were bothering them. They go to bed early and leave the windows and curtains open because of the heat. And our lights are shining in their bedroom.
So if we could close our curtains in the evening.
“OK… uh… yeah of course! Sorry for the inconvenience!”
But that got me thinking. I really like open curtains and windows to catch the light and get some fresh air. Even in the evening. Closing the curtains (even at night!) feels so oppressive to me. And yeah, I know when it’s dark you don’t see a damn thing. But even then… and I don’t know why.
I think it’s typical Dutch to open the curtains and ‘show’ people your interior * 😉
Also typical Dutch is this potato salad, it’s called ‘Huzarensalade’ what can be translated to ‘Hussars Salad’. And yes, this salad has a taste of Hungary in it 😉
On wikipedia I’ve read that this salad originally came from the Hussars, Hungarian men who were the light cavalry in the Austrian army. The Hussars had to explore the territory of the enemy (the Turks). They couldn’t use fire to prepare their food because the Turks might discover them then. So they packed some prepared food that was already mixed together. I bet by their wives 😉 This is how this salad of potato, meat, apple and cornichons originated.
And so far this history lesson, back to the salad!
I made this salad for a beach picnic we had with friends at the 4th of July. It’s perfect for a summer picnic. Or potluck, or barbecue! In Holland it’s served at celebrations, like New Years and birthdays. You can buy it at the store in Holland but making it yourself is always better!
I really like the combination of the floury potato and the sourness of the apple and the cornichons.
And, most of all, it taste like the Netherlands!
Floury potato, salty ham and sour apple and cornichons. This typically Dutch Potato Salad has it all! Bring it to a summer potluck and this salad will be the star!
Ingredients
- 3 cups potatoes, raw, skin removed and cut in 0.2” (about 1lb)
- 1 cup green peas
- 1 sour apple (like Granny Smith), skin on and in cubes of 0.2”
- 7 oz ham steak in cubes of 0.2”
- ½ cup cornichons, in pieces of 0.2”
- ¼ onion, thinly sliced and cut in small pieces
- 3 hard boiled eggs, cut in pieces of 0.2”
- ½ cup cocktail onions cut in halves
- 5 Tbsp mayonaise
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ketchup
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- extra cornichons, hard boiled eggs, ketchup for garnish
Instructions
- Bring water with some salt to a boil and add the potato cubes and sweet peas.
- Bring back to boil and turn off the gas. After 3 minutes the potato cubes and peas are done.
- Discard the hot water and fill the pan with ice cold water to stop the cooking proces. Discard the water and allow the potato cubes and peas to cool down.
- Mix the potato cubes and peas with the other cubes: apple, ham, pickles and with the onion, eggs and pickled onions in a large bowl.
- In a smaller bowl, add the mayonaise, the apple cider vinegar, the ketchup and salt & pepper and whisk until combined.
- Add this mixture to the vegetables and stir until combined.
- Now taste, does it need some extra salt & pepper? Or maybe a little more mayonaise, vinegar or ketchup? Do what you like! It’s your salad!
- Now transfer the salad to a plate. If you want to do it the old fashioned way first put some lettuce leafs on the plate. Make sure the salad gets a smooth surface. Decorate with slices of egg, cornichons and some ketchup. Google ‘huzarensalade’ to get some really old fashioned examples when you click on 'Images'.
Notes
Dutch pickles are sweet ánd sour. We didn't like the 'sweet pickles' we bought at Ralph's. In the end I found some cornichons at World Market that came close to the Dutch 'augurken'. For this dish, make sure you use sour (and slightly sweet) cornichons.
Enjoy!
* And to continue: yes, from then on we partly close our curtains in the evening so the lights aren’t bothering the neighbors.
But then to find out the neighbors are still awake and watching tv by the time we go to bed around midnight. Every night!!
We are also bothered by the sunlight early in the morning, it woke us up.
So what did we do? We bought some curtains to complement the shades (they came with the house). Problem solved…
note: OMG this is soooo freaky!
Right at this moment -I’ve just finished writing this blog post- our neighbor comes out to his balcony, looks down and calls: “Hello!” “Hellohoo” (with that same voice!!) to his girlfriend who just came home.
(my desk at our office at home is opposite to his balcony)
IS HE CLAIRVOYANT?
Brrrrr….
Let me get this straight…because HE doesn’t want to close HIS curtains, you have to close yours?! Thats not logic at all!
Thats like:’ I’M tired, YOU have to go to sleep.’ Thanks for the recipe…was actually looking for potato salade on your website a few weeks ago 🙂 I will use it pho sho! Kisses
Maya, I was thinking the same thing!
It probably doesn’t matter but…apple cider vinegar or white wine vinega? The recipe calls for one and the instructions another.
Ah sorry I see. I wrote down the recipe but I couldn’t find white wine vinegar at the store. Forgot to change it in the instructions.
Both work fine!
Vandaag een hele grote schaal huzarensalade gemaakt voor de familiedag op de school van mijn kinderen. Mijn helper had echter van de aardappelen een puree gemaakt. Maar de smaak is echter dezelfde.
Groeten vanuit de Filippijnen.
Dat is leuk om te horen Paul! Nu raak ik wel benieuwd naar de huzarensalade van gepureerde aardappelen, is misschien nog wel makkelijker ook 😉
groeten terug vanuit LA!
[…] has a great cooking website, Fearless Fresh, I discovered In My Red Kitchen, and this recipe for a Dutch potato salad. The potato salad recipe sounds pretty familiar until you notice it has an APPLE in it! If you […]
Yes, pureed potatoes where always used as far as I know. Quite often left over from the day before. Doesn’t mean we can’t try it your way.😁
heel makkelijk om zelf augurken komkommer of kleine uien in te leggen je kan zelf de zuurte bepalen hoe zuur of zoet wil je het hebben. brandschone mason jars, een mengsel van azijn en suiker of als je wilt zoetstof even opkoken dou de augurken in de jar giet de kokende azijn er overheen sluit de jar en zet hen op zn kop weg ter afkoeling de volgende dag kook het het vocht nogmaals op en giet het weer terug in de jar de dag erop nog 1X en klaar is het op het moment dat de jar(s) vult met whatever kan je er wat peperkorels indoen of een vers pepertje, laurier blad rosemarijn thym van alles kan je uitproberen bij uien een beetje turmeric dan krijgen ze de kleur en smaak van amsterdamse uien, ik heb het ook op het net gevonden omdat ik op de Filipijnen woon en lang niet alles hier verkrijgbaar is succes!!
I have a recipe that also includes red beets. It adds color to the salad. I have used pickled beets or plain beets. I personally liked the pickled.
I make it with pink Salmon very yummy and the rest the same but with beetroot I decorate it with eggs gurkens and the beetroot and tomatos around the plate looks loveley !!!!!EET SMAKELYK !!!!!!
I made it here in Canada lots of times and it’s always the first thing to be finished eating. Always with festivities obviously, because I made a big bowl full. Everybody loves it and they are asking already, are you making your salad please????
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for sharing!
It sound a little like a Indo /Dutch recipe I use.
It uses beets and pineapple.Dutch pickles which you can buy at World Market. No potatoes,alle veggies. And just mayo.
Dank u wel voor deze lekkere Nederlandse recept van de salade.. Een oom van me die ooit kok in het leger was, ‘leerde’ (= lees afgekeken-) ik dat je er ook doperwtjes door de pure kunt prakken. En sardines. .
Eet smakelijk.
Veel groeten vanuit het Noorden van Nederland, Meeden.
Jantje.
Ketchup? Never seen it on Huzarensalade before and i’ve been eating it for 40+ years 🙂
[…] http://www.inmyredkitchen.com/dutch-potato-salad-huzarensalade/ […]
Hallo Ellen,
Ik zat gisteren te denken naar vroeger en herinnerde dat mijn moeder s’zomers altijd op zaterdag een Huzarensalade maakte. Na, dat ik je website heb gevonden met het recipe heb ik besloten morgen (zaterdag) een huzarensalade te maken. Reuzachtig bedankt voor het recept. Ik zal je laten weten hoe het uit gekomen is.
Van Holland naar LA is zeker een grote stap; van kleine restaurantjes, gezellige straten, aankopen op de markt en dan naar grote malls, fast foods en namaak molens. Ik hoop dat de heimwee je niet hindert en dat het keukenwerk een beloning is. En open dat gordijn en zet een kaarsje op het vensterbank.
Nogmaals Bedankt en warme wensen,
Pieter
Nova Scotia, Canada
2minolta
Yebo! Living for 14 years outside NL and your reminder of Huzarensalade throws some pride on the somewhat boring Dutch kitchen to me, and brings warm memories of all sort get togethers growing up🤗 next braai it will be on the table