To make the Russian salad, first boil the potatoes starting from cold water for about 40 minutes after it reaches a boil.
In the meantime, prepare the mayonnaise: place the egg yolks in a bowl along with the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Begin whisking with an electric hand mixer while slowly drizzling in the vegetable oil. Once well emulsified, add the lemon juice and whisk again. Cover the mayonnaise with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you continue with the recipe.
Prepare the remaining ingredients: hard-boil the eggs by placing them in cold water and boiling for 7 minutes after reaching a rolling boil. Peel the carrots and boil them for about 10 minutes—they should remain slightly crisp. Meanwhile, dice the pickled gherkins into roughly 5 mm cubes and transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
When the potatoes are cooked (check their tenderness by piercing them with a fork), peel them and cut them into 5 mm cubes. Dice the hard-boiled eggs and the cooked carrots into equal-sized cubes as well.
Add the diced potatoes, eggs, and carrots to the bowl with the gherkins.
Blanch the peas in boiling water for about 1 minute, drain, and add them to the bowl. Stir everything gently, allow it to cool to room temperature, and then place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, fold in the prepared mayonnaise and the extra virgin olive oil, mixing well until all ingredients are thoroughly coated. Your Russian salad is ready to serve!
