Russian Egg Salad

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After my trip through Russia in 2017 for my 50th birthday on the Trans Siberian Railway, I really began to appreciate Russia's way with mayonnaise based salads. I read Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking:A Memoir of Food and Longing which really helped me to appreciate the Russian kitchen.  One of the dishes I have become obsessed with is this Russian Egg Salad with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and dill. I have made it several times and it rarely gets to sit around for a couple of days. 

This recipe on Orangette is my guide. She adapted her recipe from the cookbook written by the same author of the book I read as I crossed the country. (Adapted from  

 SAVEUR, and from Anya Von Bremzen's  PLEASE TO THE TABLE: THE RUSSIAN COOKBOOK) 

I use white button mushrooms. Orangette says the flavor of this salad really deepens with time, so consider making it a day (or even two) before you want to eat it but I have rarely made it that long. 

5 Tbsp. canola oil 

1 lb. mushrooms, roughly chopped

? medium yellow onion, roughly chopped 

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh dill 

4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped 

? cup mayonnaise 

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 

Kosher salt Freshly 

ground black pepper

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a 10” or 12” skillet over medium-high heat, and add the mushrooms. (If they don’t all fit in the pan at once, let the first panful wilt down a bit, and then add the rest. It’ll work out fine.) Cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 14-16 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl, and set aside. 

2. Wipe out the skillet.Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until the onions begin to soften; then reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until lightly caramelized, 10-15 minutes. 

3. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms. Add the dill and eggs, and stir to mix.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice. Add a couple of spoonfuls to the mushroom mixture, and toss until evenly combined. Taste, and add more dressing as needed. 

(All in all, I used only about two-thirds of the dressing.) Season with salt and pepper. 

Depending on how deeply browned the onions are, you might also want an extra squeeze of lemon.Pile on lightly toasted bread – preferably sourdough rye, if you’ve got some – and serve open-faced.

Yield: about 2 cups