Salata de Beouff: Romanian Potato Salad

First of all, sorry for the picture. I know it isn't the greatest, but this dish is really hard to get a good picture of. :)

My husband served his mission in Romania and this was one of his favorite dishes to eat while he was there. I was fortunate enough to meet one of his friends that lives in Romania, and luckily for my husband, I was able to pick up a few Romanian recipes. I've made this potato type salad several times, and I'm yet to find someone who doesn't like it. It's a very rustic recipe, so there aren't any real measurements so you can make it suit your family's tastes. One disclaimer though- I've adapted the original recipe to fit my every day lifestyle. If you are interested in the full blown-out version, you can find the recipe on my other blog here. I've been told that the best way to serve this is with a great bread to scoop the salad up with. (I make a very simple pan bread to serve with it. Then we tear off chunks of bread and then scoop some of the salad onto the bread and eat it.) We can eat this version's yield for 2-3 meals between just me and my husband, so it does make a lot. However, like I mentioned earlier, this recipe is very forgiving and also very easy to reduce.

Salata de Beouff: Romanian Potato Salad

5-6 potatoes (I've used both reds and russets with good results- I prefer the russets though)
1 can (or about 2 cups) of sweet peas*** (I've used both canned and frozen/thawed)
1 whole dill pickle (I usually just use 2 dill pickle spears)
2-3 carrots***
2-3 chicken breasts
1 small jar mayonnaise
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Peel potatoes and carrots. In a large pot, boil potatoes, carrots and chicken until the chicken is cooked and the potatoes are fork tender (Note: don't overcook the potatoes or else dicing them will be impossible). Remove from the water and allow to cool. Dice the potatoes, carrots, chicken, and pickles into small, uniform pieces. Combine diced ingredients with peas and mayonnaise until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve with paine (a crusty bread).