This delicious salad is easily prepared from the simplest and most affordable products. They are laid out in layers or, having mixed the ingredients of the treat, the resulting mixture is formed in the form of a nest. Decorate the delicacy with quail eggs and potatoes. How to make a grouse nest salad? Let's talk about this in our article.
Dish description
This salad, which has become extremely popular, attracts the attention of guests with its interesting external design. It is laid out in the form of a nest with eggs lying in it. The dish looks great on the festive table, in addition, according to numerous reviews, it is incredibly tasty.
It is possible to prepare variants of a grouse nest salad with meat, smoked chicken, sausage, pickled or fresh mushrooms, potatoes (fried or fried), etc. Adherents of the idea of healthy nutrition recommend forming a nest of shredded cabbage. The presence in this dish of a large number of eggs enriches it with proteins. Calcium contained in meat strengthens bone tissue. You can reduce the fat content in this salad by replacing the fried potatoes with some other ingredient. If instead of potatoes, thin strips of carrots (boiled) or parsley sprigs are used to decorate, and mayonnaise is replaced with sour cream, the dish will turn out to be completely dietary.
Capercaillie Nest Salad: A Classic Recipe
This spectacular treat will decorate any feast. The main idea of its decor is the mandatory design in the form of a kind of reduced copy of the home of the capercaillie. A capercaillie nest salad with quail eggs is being prepared. They are laid out on a pillow of dill and framed by french fries, cut into thin strips. Thus, a holistic harmonious picture is created, imitating the abode of a forest bird. Potato for a grouse nest salad is thinly cut into strips, from which a nest is then formed. It not only serves as a bright decoration of the dish, but also brings a peculiar bright shade into its gamut.
The classic grouse nest salad contains a traditional set of ingredients that is characteristic of many recipes. This combination of products, tested over the years, will certainly please guests during any holiday celebration, and the special features of the external design of the appetizer will surprise tasters and will be remembered by them for a long time.
Ingredients
For the preparation of the classic salad "Capercaillie Nest", the following products are used:
- 360 grams of chicken.
- 280 grams of potatoes.
- Four quail eggs.
- Four chicken eggs.
- 220 grams of cucumbers.
- 120 grams of onion.
- 120 grams of hard cheese.
- 70 g of processed cheese.
- A bunch of dill.
- 260 ml of vegetable oil.
- 180 grams of mayonnaise.
- 5 grams of sugar.
- 30 ml of vinegar.
- Water and salt.
What changes can be made to the recipe?
You can make some changes to the classic “Capercaillie Nest” salad recipe. In winter, if fresh cucumbers are absent, they can be replaced with salted ones. Additionally, pickled mushrooms can be added to the product. Instead of real quail eggs (stuffed) used as decoration, you can use balls made from a mixture of cheese (processed), garlic and mayonnaise.
About the cooking method
The classic salad “Capercaillie Nest” is prepared as follows:
- Water is poured into the pan, heated. The chicken fillet is washed and put in warm water (so that the meat juices do not go into the broth). Cook for 40 minutes until cooked.
- Then boil the eggs: chicken - for 10 minutes, quail - about 5 minutes.
- Onions are cut in half rings.
- The potatoes are peeled, cut into strips as thin as possible, fried in small portions in a slow cooker, deep fryer or in a deep frying pan, using a large amount of hot oil. Fried potatoes spread on paper, drain excess oil, salt.
- Next, the onions are placed in a bowl. Pour it with vinegar, add 90 ml of water. Pour sugar, salt. Leave to marinate: put onion rings in a bowl and pour in a mixture of vinegar, water, sugar and salt.
- Wash dill, allow to dry, chop.
- Hard cheese and chicken eggs are grated in two different containers.
- Cucumbers and chicken fillet are chopped in the form of bars.
Assembly
Collect the salad like this:
- Pickled onions are spread on a large round dish, a layer of chicken fillet (chopped) is placed on top.
- Lubricated with mayonnaise, spread cucumbers. Mayonnaise is applied on the surface in the form of a thin net, sprinkle salad with eggs (grated), on top again put a net of mayonnaise, sprinkle with cheese.
- Make a small round depression in the middle. The surface of the whole dish is spread with a small amount of mayonnaise. Dill is placed in the recess (a small amount should be left to stuff eggs).
- The sides of the salad are decorated with straws from french fries - a nest is formed from it.
- Then quail eggs are peeled, cut in half lengthwise. Take out the yolks. Grind them with dill (remaining), salt (with one pinch).
- Then triturated processed cheese. Add it to the yolks, mix with mayonnaise.
- The egg whites are filled with the resulting mass, laid out on a makeshift pillow from dill. The classic grouse nest salad is ready. Can be served.
Capercaillie Nest Salad with tongue (puff)
Among the ingredients of this dish are:
- 200 grams of cooked smoked sausage.
- 200 grams of beef tongue.
- 1-2 cucumbers (fresh or pickled).
- One chicken egg (boiled).
- Seven quail eggs (boiled).
- Seven to eight potatoes.
- Mayonnaise.
Description of the method of preparation
The “Capercaillie Nest” puff salad is prepared as follows: cut the potatoes into thin strips (or grate) and fry them in a deep fryer or in a frying pan, adding a large amount of vegetable oil. Ready potatoes are laid out on a paper towel to get rid of excess fat. Thin strips cut the tongue, sausage and cucumbers. Layered in layers:
- The first layer on a flat plate lay the chopped sausage. It is formed in the form of a nest, sprinkled with a grated chicken egg and greased with mayonnaise.
- The second layer is formed from a chopped tongue, again sprinkled with a grated egg, the surface of which is smeared with mayonnaise.
- The third layer is created from chopped cucumbers. They are also laid out in the shape of a circle, sprinkled with egg and greased with mayonnaise. In the created slide with a recess lay quail eggs (boiled).
Leave a treat to "rest" for several hours. Salad is decorated with fried potato straws imitating dry nest branches.
About smoked chicken salad
The Capercaillie Nest salad with smoked chicken prepared according to this recipe turns out to be juicy and tasty. In addition to fried potatoes, carrots are also fried in it. The recipe suggests the absence of cucumbers. You will need:
- three to four large potatoes;
- two onions;
- four large carrots;
- five to six eggs;
- 300 g boneless smoked chicken fillet;
- mayonnaise (4-5 tablespoons);
- 1 tbsp mustard;
- 1-2 cloves of garlic;
- parsley and dill.
Cooking technology
According to this recipe, a grouse nest salad with smoked chicken is prepared as follows:
- Peel vegetables.
- Hard boiled eggs. Separate the yolks from the proteins and cut into cubes.
- The potatoes are chopped in the form of small straws (or grated for Korean carrots). Carrots are cut into small strips. Onions are chopped in half rings.
- Chicken fillet cut into cubes.
- Next, vegetable oil is heated in a frying pan (2 tbsp). The potatoes are fried, laid out in a colander so that the excess fat is stacked. Then, in a new portion of oil, carrots are fried, which are also laid out in a colander. After that, fry the onions.
- Prepared foods - potatoes, carrots and onions - are added to the eggs, put the chopped chicken there and mix.
- Using a press squeeze garlic (1-2 cloves). Add 4-5 tbsp. tablespoons of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of mustard. Then the salad is mixed. In its center make a recess.
- Next, chop the greens. Knead the yolks with a fork. Add mayonnaise and dill with parsley (chopped), mix. Oval eggs are formed from the resulting meat. They are laid out in the recess, decorating them with a salad.
We use meat as the main ingredient in the salad
How to make a grouse nest salad with meat (pork or beef)? This question is of interest to many housewives. Experts recommend dressing the dish and adding fried potatoes, which is part of the grouse nest salad, right before serving, because during prolonged interaction with the dressing it soaks and can lose its taste and crispness. Treats are also not advised to store especially long, it is better to eat it immediately.
In the composition of the dish
To prepare snacks you need:
- 500 grams of meat (boiled).
- 500 grams of potatoes.
- Three cucumbers.
- One onion.
- Five chicken eggs.
- 100 grams of hard cheese.
- 250 grams of mayonnaise.
- One bunch of dill.
Cooking salad
Act as follows:
- First clean the vegetables. Potatoes are chopped in the form of thin stripes.
- A couple of tablespoons of oil (vegetable) are heated in a frying pan and the potatoes are fried on it. It is better to fry it in several stages in small portions, while it turns out more crispy and rosy.
- The meat (boiled) is cut into small pieces. According to the housewives, in this salad, in addition to beef and pork (lean), it is quite possible to use ham, chicken and even sprats.
- Onions are cut in half rings. To achieve a milder taste, onion is poured with boiling water and kept for several minutes to remove excess bitterness.
- Fresh cucumber is chopped in the form of a long straw.
- Boil eggs, clean, separate the yolks from the proteins. The yolks are laid aside for a while, and the proteins are crushed.
- Grate cheese, finely chop dill, knead yolks with a fork and mix everything with mayonnaise. Small balls are formed manually (this can be entrusted to children, whom such an activity usually enthralls)
- In a container suitable in size, the meat is mixed with onion, cucumber and protein. Salt to taste and season with mayonnaise.
- Next, the prepared mass is laid out on a flat dish in the form of a nest. In the middle, make a small depression in which the eggs are placed. Top salad sprinkled with fried potatoes.
Capercaillie Nest with Chips, Smoked Meat and Cabbage
To prepare this dish use any kind of meat (smoked). Grouse Nest Salad Ingredients:
- 300 g smoked meat;
- three potatoes;
- 0.5 head of Beijing cabbage;
- 1 pack of chips;
- two chicken eggs;
- seven quail eggs;
- one onion;
- two cucumbers (fresh);
- mayonnaise;
- greens.
Cooking
Smoked meat is cut into medium-sized cubes. Cucumbers are cut into strips or cubes (small). Chicken eggs are crushed or grated (coarse). Onions are cut into thin half rings. Potatoes are cut into medium-sized cubes or grated. Fry it in a deep fryer or in a pan. In the process of frying, the potatoes are periodically turned over with a spatula (it must be ensured that it does not lose shape and obtain a golden crust). To stack excess fat, fried potatoes spread on a paper towel.
In a deep salad bowl spread meat, eggs, cucumbers, onions and ½ part of the potato (cooled). Seasoned with mayonnaise and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly. The surface of the finished mixture is covered with greens (crushed) on top, and then covered with chips. The remaining potatoes are stacked around the edge in the shape of a circle. Quail eggs (peeled) are placed in the recess of the salad. Salad ready!
Sausage Salad Recipe
To prepare a grouse nest salad with sausage, you will need:
- doctor's sausage - 100 g;
- ham - 100 g;
- medium-sized boiled carrots - 2 pcs.;
- two bulbs (small);
- two cucumbers (fresh);
- six eggs;
- bell pepper (to taste);
- potatoes - 6 pcs.;
- mayonnaise;
- nutmeg, salt, pepper (ground black).
Decorative eggs are prepared:
- of four cooked yolks;
- grated cheese;
- one clove of garlic;
- greens (to taste).
Cooking features
Act in stages:
- First, carrots and four eggs are boiled and cooled. Two eggs are broken and shaken. Grind in the form of cubes about 5 × 5 mm in size sausage, bell pepper, cucumbers, onions and boiled carrots.
- From the scrambled eggs, egg pancakes are fried in a hot pan, set on a plate to cool. In this case, it is better to cover the plate with paper so that excess oil is absorbed into it.
- After all the products have cooled, the proteins are separated from the yolks, the egg pancakes are rolled into a tube and cut into rings so that they turn out “noodles”. Egg white is chopped with a knife or grated.
- In a large pan, add all the crushed products, sprinkle with salt, black pepper and nutmeg. Season with mayonnaise and mix.
- After this, a little hard cheese is rubbed, garlic is crushed using a press, mayonnaise is added and stirred. Press the egg yolks with a fork, mix with the cheese mass, add chopped dill greens.
- Wash and peel potatoes, cut into narrow slices (approximately 2-3 mm). Then the potato straws are fried in small portions in a frying pan or in a deep fat fryer in hot oil.
- Lettuce leaves are spread on a large flat dish, on them (in the form of a ring) - filling for an impromptu nest, so that in the middle it turns out a deepening.
- Then, potato straws are scattered on the surface of the dish in an artistic mess.
- Decorative balls are manually molded from the egg mixture (it is better to moisten the palms with water) and put them in a recess in the nest.
How to cook a salad with mushrooms?
When preparing the classic salad “Capercaillie Nest” with mushrooms, it is recommended to lay the ingredients in layers. You can decorate it not only with eggs, but also with decorative figures of capercaillie chicks. Ingredients:
- 350 g chicken fillet;
- four large potatoes;
- 300 g of pickled mushrooms;
- 2 onions;
- 2 cucumbers (medium size);
- chicken eggs - 3 pcs.;
- six quail eggs (for decoration);
- 1 cheese (processed);
- carrots - 2 pcs.;
- garlic - 2 cloves;
- to taste: salt, mayonnaise, pepper;
- leaf lettuce;
- 12 clove sticks.
How to cook?
Prepare a treat like this:
- Boil eggs and carrots in salted water.
- Thinly sliced potatoes are deep-fried. Spread out on paper napkins lined on a wide plate to stack fat. Especially tasty salad “Capercaillie Nest” with french fries will turn out if you pre-marinate potatoes for several hours in a special composition from 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Then the water is drained, and the potatoes are frozen. And if necessary, the frozen vegetable can be thrown into deep fat and fry.
- Onions are cut in the form of quarters of rings. Carrots - in the form of straws. Vegetables are laid out in a pan, in which the oil is pre-heated, and fried until golden brown.
- Chicken, mushrooms and cucumbers are cut into strips.
- Eggs are cleaned, yolks are removed, which are laid aside - they will be needed for decoration. Squirrels are cut into small bars.
Salad assembly
It is better to collect the salad in layers:
- The first layer is formed from mushrooms. Next, spread the chopped chicken. Top it is finely smeared with mayonnaise.
- Then spread the fried mixture of onions and carrots, which is also lubricated with mayonnaise.
- The next layer is cucumbers (fresh). Next, lay out the proteins, which on top should be greased with mayonnaise.
- The top is decorated with potatoes (fried), forming a nest from it. Lettuce leaves are laid on the sides.
- The yolks are transferred to a separate container, add one tablespoon of mayonnaise, finely chopped dill or other greens, salt, knead with a fork. From the resulting mass, oval-shaped eggs are formed.
- Decorative eggs are laid in a recess made in a salad. Peel quail eggs and one chicken (remaining). Eyes are made from cloves, and beaks for babies from raw carrots, as well as beak and wings of an adult chicken.
Cabbage salad (diet)
This option - with cabbage - is easier: it has fewer calories and does not use fried potatoes. Mistresses recommend making it from Beijing cabbage, but in its absence, you can use ordinary. All vegetables are cut in the form of straws, so they will look like twigs in a nest. In the composition of the products:
- 100 g chicken fillet (boiled or smoked);
- 100 g of cabbage (Beijing or ordinary);
- 100 g of cheese (hard);
- five to seven quail eggs;
- 100 g of mushrooms;
- 1 apple
- 1 onion;
- 0.5 lemons;
- nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts) - 5 pcs.;
- mayonnaise.
About cooking technology
Act as follows:
- Hard boiled eggs, cool and clean.
- Onion cut into thin strips. Mushrooms are finely chopped. Spread onions and mushrooms in a frying pan, heated with several tablespoons of vegetable oil, add salt to taste and fry.
- Cheese is also cut in the form of straws. One third of the cheese straws are transferred to a separate plate (it will need to be used for decoration).
- Chicken is cut into strips, set aside for decoration.
- Peking cabbage is also cut into thin strips and some is laid aside.
- Thinly cut the apple, squeeze a little lemon juice on it to slightly darken, and lay a small portion on a separate plate.
- Next, the whole cut is placed in a separate container, mixed, mayonnaise is added to taste (approximately 5 tablespoons). The nuts are crushed.
- The salad mixture is transferred to a wide dish and a nest is formed from it. On top of it lay laid shredded ingredients (not mixed with mayonnaise). The recess is covered with chopped nuts and decorative quail eggs are placed there.
Chicken Heart Salad
Ingredients:
- 300 grams of chicken heart.
- Three potatoes.
- Two chicken eggs.
- Seven quail eggs.
- One fresh cucumber.
- Onions (medium size).
- 140 grams (one third cans) of canned corn.
- Lettuce leaves.
- Dill (several branches) or parsley.
- Mayonnaise.
How to make a salad?
Hearts are boiled, cooled, finely chopped. Hard boiled eggs.Peel the potatoes, cut into cubes and fry with a large amount of oil in a pan or deep fryer. Cut the cucumber and onions. Cucumbers - in small cubes. Onions - as small as possible.
Chicken eggs are chopped into cubes and added to the remaining chopped products. Potatoes (fried) and chicken hearts are added there. Season the products with mayonnaise and mix. Lettuce leaves are spread on a flat dish. The leaves are placed in the form of a circle ready salad mixture. Canned corn is poured onto the surface of the circle. Chopped dill or other greens are poured over it. Quail eggs are placed in the recess. Salad ready!