Salad nest - general principles and methods of preparation
Salad in the form of a nest can often be found on the festive table. It can be called differently - the nest of the cuckoo, capercaillie, swallows, etc., it can also be prepared 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 “twisted” of fried potatoes, in which there are “eggs” made from certain products. Thanks to his good taste and original appearance, he is always a welcome guest at the festive table.
Due to the chips 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 for this dish, from which you can probably choose the one that will most suit your taste preferences and views on food.
Capercaillie Salad - Preparation Products
As a rule, meat is included in the salad nest. It is pre-boiled in salted water and cut into strips. They also cut the ham and vegetables that make up the salad with straws, because we have to “twist” them into a “nest”.
In the classic salad recipe, the nest is made of fried potatoes, cut into thin strips (ideally, on a special grater). It should be fried in large quantities of oil in small portions, so that the potatoes necessarily turn out to be rosy, and crispy, so that it can be formed from it.
Salad Nest - The Best Recipes
Recipe 1: Capercaillie nest salad with fried potatoes, chicken and champignons
The perfect salad for the festive 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 piquancy. 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 mushrooms);
3 potatoes;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
to taste salt, pepper,
lettuce leaves.
For eggs:
1 cream cheese
3 egg yolks;
3 cloves of garlic;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
dill greens,
Cooking method:
1. After peeling and washing the potatoes, cut them into a very thin straw on a grater and fry them in vegetable oil without stirring until a golden crust appears. Then, turning the potatoes over, fry it on the other side.
2. We cut the boiled chicken into cubes, the ham into thin strips, the mushrooms into not too thin slices.
3. Having hard-boiled eggs and separating proteins from yolks, we rub them separately on a coarse grater.
4. Cooking “bird eggs”. Rub on a coarse grater the yolks and cream cheese. Greens, washed and dried, finely chopped. Grind garlic through garlic press. Combining the yolks with cheese, herbs, garlic and mayonnaise, mix well the resulting mass and form eggs from it.
5. Combine the chicken meat, mushrooms, ham, egg whites in a bowl, season with mayonnaise and mix well.
6. Rinsing and drying lettuce leaves, cover them with the bottom of a flat plate. Then we spread the lettuce mass on them, forming it in the form of a nest and making a small depression in the middle. Then we cover the nest with fried potatoes to imitate a bird's nest.
7. In the recess of the "nest" we put the "eggs" of cheese and decorate the salad with herbs.
Recipe 2: Capercaillie Nest Salad with Chicken and Grapes
This salad is attractive with an unexpected combination of products (chicken, grapes, celery, hazelnuts), which in fact gives an excellent taste result. The salad turns out to be both hearty and not overloaded with calories, since 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. hazelnuts;
2 boiled quail eggs;
3 tbsp. l mayonnaise;
several lettuce leaves;
to taste salt, black pepper, dill.
Cooking method:
1. Having cooked the chicken breasts in salted water, cut the meat into strips.
2. Grind the hazelnuts, cut part of the grapes in half and peel them. Celery, peeled, cut into small strips.
3. All prepared foods are mixed in a bowl, salt, pepper and season with mayonnaise, then mix thoroughly and put on a dish, the bottom of which is laid out with green lettuce leaves.
4. To make the salad look like a bird’s nest, make a small indentation in the center of the slide, decorate the sides with twigs of grapes.
5. Having boiled and peeled quail eggs, we put them in the recess of the salad and decorate with a sprig of dill. Then let the salad brew in the refrigerator for about half an hour and serve.
Recipe 3: Capercaillie Nest Salad with Sausage and Pickled Cucumbers
This salad is very nutritious thanks to the sausage, and pickled cucumbers and garlic make it moderately sharp. In general, your taste will surely please your guests, 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 proteins from the yolks, separately rub them on a fine grater.
2. Boil the carrots in salted water and cut it into thin strips, just cut the sausage and cucumbers.
3. Cut the potatoes into strips, dry it with a paper towel and fry in vegetable oil so that it becomes rosy and crispy.
4. Mix carrots, sausages, cucumbers and potatoes, salt, pepper and season with mayonnaise, form a nest from them on a dish with a recess in the center.
5. After rubbing the cheese on a fine grater, combine it with grated egg white, garlic and mayonnaise passed through a press, then mix thoroughly, form “eggs” and roll them in yolks. Then we put them in our nest - and the salad can be served on the table.
Recipe 4: Mango Nest Salad
This salad will certainly be appreciated by those who do not too welcome the meat on their table. It turns out very juicy thanks to mangoes. Important detail: after cooking, the salad needs to be served quickly, since the mango gives off a lot of juice.
Ingredients:
15 asparagus sprouts;
2 cucumbers;
2 carrots;
8 leaves of green salad;
200 gr. white cabbage;
2 mangoes;
8 pitted prunes
1 star anise star;
1 tbsp. l soy sauce;
50 gr vegetable oil;
juice of 1 lemon;
to taste the salt.
Cooking method:
1. Hard-boiled eggs and cleaned, prick them with a fork in several places.
2. Brew 3 tsp. tea in 2 cups boiling water, add salt, soy sauce and star anise star anise. Dipping eggs in this mixture, keep them there for about an hour.
3. Shred straws cucumbers, carrots, cabbage.
4. Scalding the prunes with boiling water, cooling and drying, cut it into pieces.
5. We take out the seeds from the mango, cut it into thin slices. Cut lettuce half into strips.
6. We make dressing for dressing, whipping vegetable oil with lemon juice, salt, sugar and pepper.
7. Having lined the bottom of the dish with the remaining lettuce leaves, spread half the mango slices along its edge, on top - a mixture of prepared vegetables with prunes, giving the salad the shape of a nest with a depression in the center. Put the remaining slices of mango and eggs into this recess, shape the nest with asparagus shoots. Pour it all with cooked sauce, and the salad can be served on the table.
Salad Nest - Useful Tips from Experienced Cookers
If you are preparing a nest salad, expecting guests, then pay attention to the number of “eggs” laid in the nest: it must be no less than the number of participants in the feast so that no one remains deprived.
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.
