Is a mediterranean dish something that is traditional and has a history or can it be something more international or simply basic (yet delicious) that is reinterpreted by a mediterranean person with mediterranean ways & tastes ? I’ll let you decide but It’s all about the strain, the extraction technique, the moisture control and the pickles !
My mother's iconic macaroni salad applies Mediterranean precision to a Montreal childhood staple, utilizing a meticulous moisture-extraction technique on every single vegetable to guarantee a perfectly rich, undiluted dressing.
The downfall of most pasta salads is a watery, diluted dressing that pools at the bottom of the bowl. The reason this recipe works so perfectly comes down to strictly controlling hydration. By grating and finely chopping the vegetables, and then rigorously pressing and straining them to extract the excess liquid, you concentrate their flavors and protect the structural integrity of the mayonnaise emulsion.
To achieve the precise yields required for the vegetable mix, passive draining isn't enough. Gather the prepped vegetables into a clean, lint-free kitchen towel or a double layer of cheesecloth. Twist the top to close it into a tight pouch and squeeze firmly with your hands to force out the excess water. Alternatively, press the vegetables hard against a fine-mesh stainless steel sieve using a sturdy silicone spatula until the residual liquid is fully expelled. The goal is a dry, concentrated vegetable mass.
The overall flavor is due to the combination of grated carrots, celery, sweet & sour pickles, green bell pepper and an olive oil mayonnaise. I add the pale green parts of finely chopped scallions to my version, because I found that my mom’s pickles have a stronger onion flavor than what I use here in Paris. I only add them in the end before serving, because if you add them in at the beginning and then store the salad in the refrigerator for more than one day, the onion flavor will deepen too much and overpower the blend.
The sumac powder and pink peppercorns add an extra yet discreet nice acidic and floral taste, but are completely optional too, but my mom sometimes sprinkles it with some sweet paprika powder. All these options are reddish and look nice too.
I think summer is finally here and next weekend will be a scorcher, so gather up the ingredients soon ! … :)
