Often, housewives are looking on the Internet for a recipe for carrot salads, specifying the task for search engines with the phrase "like in a dining room."
It is good to see that there are people who are so happy with the catering services that they are trying to find their secret recipes "on the World Wide Web."
But nevertheless, no matter how hard the housewives tried to find such recipes, it should be noted: it cannot be at home, as in the dining room.
Home-made food will always be different from what people sometimes, and maybe even systematically eat in canteens, cafes and other catering establishments.
Most likely, none of the chefs of these establishments will share their signature recipe called "... like in the dining room."
But we will try to find out and reproduce some secrets of professionals regarding the formulation of carrot salads.
It’s a pity that housewives do not indicate the addresses of dining rooms where they managed to meet a salad that they remembered and loved, because at different times and in different cities of the former Soviet Union there were various salad recipes developed at each individual catering enterprise, depending on economic opportunities prevailing in the regions, climatic conditions, consumer demand and a number of other factors important for the service sector.
Carrot salad in the dining room - the basic principles of preparation
Salad, as a dish, has been known to mankind since Ancient Rome, although its real evolution began in the 18th century in France. Now almost any product, sliced or grated and seasoned with sauce, an invention of the same French, is considered to be a salad.
The total number of salad recipes known in world cuisine cannot be calculated or at least systematized. Therefore, we dwell only on some species, which include carrots in raw, boiled or pickled form.
There are one-component carrot salads, both raw and pre-processed: pickled, boiled, sautéed or even fried. For the preparation of one-component salads, dressing or sauce is important, which creates the main taste of the dish.
All vegetables used in raw salads are of value as the main source of vitamins. Therefore, it is important to prepare them immediately before eating, in small quantities. Dressings and sauces in such cases are best added at the very last moment, before serving, or served separately, in gravy boats. As a rule, all the vitamins most important and significant for humans are destroyed within 30-120 minutes from the moment the vegetables are peeled and chopped.
Carrots are primarily a source of carotene, which must be consumed with sour cream, vegetable oil, since this vitamin belongs to the group of fat-soluble ones. Food should be not only tasty, but also healthy, and this is the main criterion that should be guided in its preparation. This fundamental principle, developed and created as a methodological guide for dining rooms, cafes and restaurants, was taken into account and, hopefully, taken into account by all technologists of the food industry.
Carrots are widely used as a component in vegetable and fruit, meat and fish salads, as the main and equivalent ingredient, that is, in various proportions.
As for the initial treatment, it consists in cleaning from dirt, washing and cleaning the root crop. The next processing step depends on the requirements of the recipe: if you need fresh carrots, then the root crop is washed again and begin to cut it or other methods of grinding; if boiled carrots are required, then it is boiled, after which they are peeled and cut.
The taste of the salad depends on the method and size of the slices, so do not neglect the observance of technology. For example, finely grated raw carrots will release juice faster than sliced straws. Therefore, the issue of slicing should be approached based on the desired result. It should also be borne in mind that some vegetables, which include carrots, have a rather high density, which affects the methods of cutting and preliminary heat treatment. Raw carrots for salads are usually crushed with a grater or combine. Larger methods of cutting hard root crops are used only after preliminary heat treatment.
If the ingredient is part of the composition as equivalent, then so that it does not stand out to taste, you need to cut it equally in size with other components. In addition, it should be borne in mind that slicing forms improve the appearance of the dish, creating a good mood with their aesthetic appearance and thereby improving the appetite at the table.
Given that the main purpose of the salad is to stimulate appetite and serves it most often before main dishes, attention should be paid to its aesthetic appearance. The most affordable and easy way to decorate is sprigs of greenery. For festive dishes, you can try and decorate the dish with more sophisticated methods, and then any carrot salad as in the dining room will be able to take center stage on the table, and the hostess who prepared it will absolutely deservedly receive the title of professional in preparing cold dishes.
Recipe 1. Carrot salad in the dining room, with sour cream
Ingredients:
Carrot 400 g
Sour cream 75 g
Lemon 150 g
Salt
Sugar
Cooking:
Grate washed and peeled carrots on a vegetable grater. Remove the zest from the lemon and then squeeze the juice out of it. Combine sour cream with sugar and salt, let dissolve. Combine the zest, carrots and lemon juice and mix, season with sour cream immediately before serving.
Recipe 2. Carrot salad in the dining room, with cabbage
Ingredients:
Carrot 250 g
White cabbage 300 g
Horseradish with vinegar 30 g
Chives 100 g
Lemon juice 75-100 ml
Sugar
Salt
Cooking:
Chop the cabbage finely and grate the carrots on a coarse grater. Chop green onions and stick for 10-15 minutes in lemon juice, add to salad. Season horseradish marinated in vinegar with salt and sugar.
Recipe 3. Carrot salad in the dining room, with nuts and garlic dressing
Ingredients:
Fresh carrot 200 g
Mayonnaise (30%) 30g
Garlic 10 g
Ground pepper
Nuts 50-70 g
Cooking:
Grate fresh carrots on a regular vegetable grater. You can also use a grater for Korean carrots. Chop a slice of garlic and add to mayonnaise with ground black pepper. Fry the walnut kernels slightly in a pan, without adding fat, to separate the skin, chop them and mix with carrots. Season the salad with garlic and pepper mayonnaise half an hour before serving.
Recipe 4. Carrot salad in the dining room, dessert with oranges and dried fruits
Ingredients:
Fresh carrots, grated 150 g
Dried Cherry 30 g
Raisins 50 g
Roasted Peanuts 75 g
Dried apricots 100 g
Prunes 80 g
Whipped Cream (33%)
Orange 200 g
Honey 40 g
Cooking:
Pour the washed dried fruit with boiling water. Remove the zest from oranges, peel and membrane, cut each slice into 2-3 parts. Slice prepared dried fruits. Add raisins and cherries to the salad as a whole. Grind the peanuts, not too finely. Combine honey with slices of oranges, soak for 10-15 minutes, then add dried fruits and carrots. Stir in a salad bowl and put a slide in a glass or ice cream bowl with a slide. Garnish with chopped peanuts and whipped cream.
Recipe 5. Carrot salad in the dining room, with eggs, cucumber and apples
Ingredients:
Boiled carrots 250 g
Fresh cucumber 150 g
Boiled eggs 5 pcs.
Apples, grade "Simirenko" 200 g (net)
Green peas, canned 400 g
Lemon juice 100 ml
Onion, green 120 g
Mayonnaise 75 g
Cooking:
Finely chop the green onions and soak it in lemon juice for several minutes. Peel the apples and cut into cubes, sprinkle with lemon juice and season with mayonnaise immediately, so that they do not darken. Add to them all the other salad ingredients, cut into small cubes, including peas and onions, which must first be freed from the marinade. Move and serve, decorated with greens. Celery is very suitable for a salad. If desired, you can add to the dish boiled celery root, about 200 g, also cut into small cubes.
Recipe 6. Carrot salad in the dining room, with cranberries, cucumbers and white cabbage
Ingredients:
Fresh cucumber 200 g
Cranberries (fresh or frozen) 150 g
White cabbage 350 g
Grated carrots 250 g
Parsley, chopped 70 g
Vegetable oil of the first extraction, sunflower, unroasted
Salt
Sugar
Cooking:
Cut the cucumbers into halves of slices, chop finely the cabbage, add the grated carrots and chopped greens. Season the salad with sugar and salt, mix and slightly remember it. Add cranberries and season with oil, mix again and can be served, laid out in a salad bowl with a slide.
Recipe 7. Carrot salad in the dining room, with apple, cabbage and cheese
Ingredients:
Hard cheese (50%) 100 g
Boiled eggs 3 pcs.
Peking cabbage 200 g
Apple 250 g
Pickled carrots 300 g
Salt
Lemon juice 240 ml
Sugar
Pickled onions, 150 g
Mayonnaise 50 g
Cooking:
Chop the onion and grate the carrots coarsely on a regular vegetable grater. Prepare two bowls, in each of which pour half the specified amount of lemon juice, add salt and sugar. Put the cooked vegetables separately in the marinade. In addition, you need 30-40 ml of juice to add it to 100 ml of water, into which you need to lower the peeled, grated apples, grated for 5-10 minutes, so that they do not darken from oxidation by air. Also finely chop cabbage, peeled eggs and grate cheese.
The salad can be mixed or layered in a large salad bowl or portioned glassware. Pre-drain lemon water from apples and marinade - from carrots and onions. Pour the ready-made salad on top with mayonnaise. Garnish with the same ingredients. You can add fresh cranberries, cucumber, sliced with carving knives, leafy green salad for decoration.
Carrot salad in the dining room - tips and tricks
If you are going to cook a carrot salad, then choose the best varieties of root vegetables, juicy and sweet. In particular, these quality assessment criteria are important for salads in which carrots are used raw. Remember the names of varieties is not worth it. There are many of them and sellers are unlikely to be able to tell what varieties they have on sale. A valuable root crop always has external signs by which it can be recognized and selected: a dull "nose" and a bright orange color. Do not try to choose the largest root crops, because they can be stiff and dry, with a very hard, pronounced core. The brighter the orange color, the more carotene is found in carrots.
When buying washed carrots, remember that such root crops are not stored for a long time. Try to use it as soon as possible. If necessary, store in a tightly closed plastic bag, always paying attention to the humidity of the product. The surface of the washed root crops must be dry, so blot them, if necessary, with a napkin. Often, after packing carrots, condensation forms in the film, which occurs due to the temperature difference in the room where the carrots were and in the refrigerator, on the lower shelf. The moisture inside the root comes out, forming droplets on the inside of the bag. In this case, the carrots need to be wiped again with a napkin, dried in the open form, not taking out of the refrigerator to avoid the re-emergence of condensation, and put in a dry bag, closing it tightly.
Unwashed carrots can be stored in bags for several months, in vegetable drawers, at the bottom of the refrigerator. Washed, polished and grated or chopped carrots can be stored in the freezer. Boiled carrots are also stored in the freezer, but it must be eaten immediately after defrosting.
