1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes in their skins until they are fork tender. Remove them from the water and peel off the skin when they are cool enough to handle. Dice finely and reserve.

2. Peel the carrots and parsnips. In a large pot, boil them till they are fork tender. Remove them from the water. When cool enough to handle, dice them finely and reserve.

3. Hard boil five eggs. When cool enough to handle, dice them finely and reserve.

4. Finely dice the onions, celery, and pickles.

5. In a large bowl, add the diced potatoes, diced chicken or other meat, diced carrots, parsnips, eggs, onion, and celery. Reserve some of the vegetables and eggs to use to decorate the salad.

6. Squeeze the diced pickles lightly in a paper towel to remove some of their juice (otherwise the salad will be too watery) and add to the rest of the diced ingredients.

7. Place frozen peas in a colander and run cold water over them to defrost. Drain completely, patting dry, if necessary, and add to the other diced ingredients in the large bowl.

Make the Dressing

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper.

Assemble the Salad

1. In the large bowl of the diced ingredients, add the dressing and toss to completely cover.

2. Transfer the salad to a pretty serving bowl. Cover the entire top with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Use enough so no salad shows through. Decorate the top with reserved vegetables and hard-cooked eggs.

3. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to serve chilled. While you could serve it immediately at room temperature, refrigerating it allows the flavors to mix together best.