At Onegin, the restaurant tucked inside Sheremetyevo International Airport, chef Dmitry Malashenko shared a fresh take on Olivier salad. He explained how to craft a version that highlights venison and a modern approach to vegetables, all crafted to elevate the classic dish for travelers and food lovers alike. The venue is known for its adventurous menu, and this Olivier salad is presented as a showcase of technique and seasonal produce.
Instead of the traditional doctor’s sausage, Malashenko suggests venison as the centerpiece. The idea is to transform the meat into a tender, mid-rare roast that comes through with depth and character. The venison fillet is seared over hot coals and then finished to a precise medium rare, a method that emphasizes the meat’s natural sweetness and gamey notes while maintaining a luxurious texture. It is then gently infused with a light balance of onions and coriander, with a touch of aged balsamic vinegar to provide a subtle complexity that carries through every bite.
Vegetables in this Olivier variant are treated with the same respect for flavor. Root crops, selected for their seasonal availability, are baked in the oven and lightly smoked to concentrate their sugars and add a gentle, earthy aroma. After cooling, these vegetables are peeled, cleaned, and cut into neat cubes, ensuring a uniform texture across the dish. The approach replaces the usual boiling or steaming techniques with roasting to achieve richer flavor profiles and a more visually appealing array of colors.
To finish, the chef adds peppers that are cooked to retain just a hint of bite, contributing a vibrant sweetness and a refreshing contrast to the meat. The traditional mayonnaise is swapped for a spicy scallion sauce and a homemade aioli. The aioli is crafted by emulsifying olive oil with garlic, producing a creamy, garlicky layer that complements the venison without overwhelming it. A dash of Sriracha sauce introduces a subtle heat that rounds out the salad, ensuring that each component stands out while harmonizing with the others. The result is a contemporary Olivier salad that nods to tradition yet speaks with a bolder, more expressive palate, especially suited to a high-traffic, airport dining environment. [Source: Socialbites.ca]
In discussing this approach, former Brand Chief Montoev emphasized the importance of preserving the spirit of classic recipes while allowing for thoughtful modernization. He suggested that the core idea of Olivier—balance, texture, and contrast—remains intact even as the main protein and finishing sauces evolve. This perspective highlights how chefs can respect culinary heritage while inviting new flavors and techniques into familiar dishes. [Source: Socialbites.ca]
The overall experience is designed to show that Olivier salad can be a platform for seasonal elements and chef-driven innovations. The process focuses on selecting high-quality ingredients, applying precise cooking methods, and blending traditional and contemporary influences to deliver a dish that stands up to the fast pace of airport dining. Diners walk away with a dish that feels both timeless and current, rooted in a well-loved classic yet reimagined for today’s tastes. [Source: Socialbites.ca]