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Salads, sandwiches, and savouries

1901

Page 2 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
good pilidi of freshly ground black pej^per (this freshness deserves far more attention than it obtains from British cooks), and a tablespoonful of tarragon vinegar ; stir this all together till the salt is perfectly dissolved, then work into the mixture three good tablespoonfuls of best Provence oil (this is usually far sweeter than the ordinary Lucca oil) till it is all well amalgamated ; have ready some cold boiled and sliced potatoes (the kidney, or waxy potatoes, are best for this), some sliced beetroot, and two or three hard-boiled and sliced eggs, together with the above ingredients (or as many of them as you like), and toss these in the dressing given above, mixing them well till all the dressing is absorbed and the ingredients thoroughly saturated. Now lift them out, pile them up in a dish, and arrange the meat neatly round. Some cooks, how- ever, use the sliced eggs, beetroot, and potato for a garnish, roughly mincing the meat, and tossing it in with the other salad material, but this is a matter of taste. Be it remembered that a salad should never be mixed in the bowl it is to be served in; especially is this the case when lettuce is used, as it is most difficult to get this properly dry unless the salad maker takes the trouble to wipe each leaf indi- vidually, a trouble no average cook will take. But if well mixed in a kitchen basin the salad can be thoroughly tossed in the dressing, and then lifted into the salad bowl clear of superfluous moisture. Also bear in mind that the dressing should in no case be mixed with the salad till it is going to table, or it will inevitably make it sodden. If the salad B 2 4 SALADS, SANDWICHES, &c. must be prepared beforehand, arrange your dish, put the green stuff neatly on a plate on ice, or in a cold place, and the dressing ready mixed in a wide- mouthed, closely covered jar (for if the air gets to mayonnaise it makes it rank) ; the salad can then be quickly mixed at the last, and neatly dished, and will look and eat crisp and fresh. Fish can be made into a salad in jjrecisely the same way, only varying the ingredients according to the fish or the season, but always sprinkle it at the last with minced herbs, or fourniture as the French call it. For chicken use well washed and dried lettuce broken up (never cut lettuces !), j>eeled and sliced tomato, cucumber, artichoke bottoms, &c. For these the dressing given above is much to be recom- mended, and a good sprinkling of minced ham or tongue should not be omitted. As mayonnaise is a sauce that does not stand well (though a good spoonful of absolutely boiling water to the half jDint, stirred in carefully at the last, will prevent its thickening unduly), the following recijte for ‘‘ cooked mayonnaise,” for which I am indebted to M. C. H. Senn, may be useful : For this stir together in a basin a tablespoonful each of sugar, oil, and salt, and a full dessertspoonful of mustard, till j^erfectly smooth ; then work in the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, next a gill of vinegar, and lastly half a pint of milk or single creamCooked Mayonnaise, and stir these all over the fire in the bain-marie till of the consistency of custard, but without letting it boil. It is ready when the mixture will coat the spoon thickly and smoothly. This, if tightly bottled, will keep for several days. FANCY SALADS. 5