Mixznff Salads.'^ln preparing dressing, powder the hard-boiled
eggs, either in a mortar with a wooden pestle or by mashing with
back of salad spoon (if raw eggs are used beat well and strain}, add
seasoning, then oil, a few drops at a time, and, lastly and gradually,
vinegar. The wooden salad fork and spoon are
best to use in making salads, though silver may
be used. Always use freshest olive salad oil, not
common sweet oil ; a dark paper should be kept B«i«dF<irk«idBpo«i.
around the bottles of oil to shield them from the light, and they
should be corked tightly enough to exclude the air and kept in a
cool place. If oil can not b» obtained, cream or melted butter is a
good substitute and by some considered even more palatable, but
when used it should be added last of all. All cooked dressings are
better made in custard kettle, usins great care in adding eggs, let-
ting the mixture cool slightly, and adding slowly, lest they curdle.
Then, whether cooked or uncooked, dressing snould be made as
cold as possible before mixing with the salad, save when otherwise
specifiea in recipes where cooked dressings are used. The quantity
of oil and vinegar may be increased or diminished according to taste^
as many persons pre^r a smaller portion of the former, and when
sugar is used the quantity will depend somewhat upon the acidity
8ALADS. 565
of the vinegar. In using raw eggs, the yolks make a richer dressing
and when making a quantity it is economical to prepare it on bak-
ing day, using the wmtes for cake. Appropriate dressings for each
salad are suggested in recipes, but any dressing preferred may of
course be used instead. When mixed, green salads should be stir-
red as little as possible, in order that their freshness may be pre-
served until they are served. Borage, summer savory, chervil, nas-
turtium, sorrel and endive (which must be blanched or it is bitter)
may be added to green salads. In preparing meat salads, all the
ingredients, except the delicate green, if any is used, mav be pre-
pared the dav before using if kept on ice or m cold place, gut must
not be n[iixea until an hour or two before servins. Then add the
dressing and mix by tossing up lightly with a wooden or silver fork,
turn into salad-bowl or on platter and shape into an oval mound,
taking care to handle very hghtly, never using the least pressure to
get it into form ; then place on ice or in very cold place till ready ifi
serve, as cold salad must be ice cold to be at its prime. Or mix
only a part of the dressing with the salad and place remainder over
the top. The salad is sometimes mixed with a nlain dressing and
a Mayonnaise placed over just before serving ; or the entire dressing
may^ be poured over the top. ^ The Mavonnaise, or a cooked dress-
ing is generallv used with chicken, fish or meat salads, and most
vegetable salaas ; for green salads, lettuce, cress, etc., the French
or any plain dressing is most appropriate.
Page 488
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Mixing Salads.^ln preparing dressing, powder the hard-boiled eggs, either in a mortar with a wooden pestle or by mashing with back of salad spoon (if raw eggs are used beat well and strain}, add seasoning, then oil, a few drops at a time, and, lastly and gradually, vinegar. The wooden salad fork and spoon are best to use in making salads, though silver may be used. Always use freshest olive salad oil, not common sweet oil ; a dark paper should be kept around the bottles of oil. around the bottles of oil to shield them from the light, and they should be corked tightly enough to exclude the air and kept in a cool place. If oil cannot be obtained, cream or melted butter is a good substitute and by some considered even more palatable, but when used it should be added last of all. All cooked dressings are better made in custard kettle, usins great care in adding eggs, letting the mixture cool slightly, and adding slowly, lest they curdle. Then, whether cooked or uncooked, dressing snould be made as cold as possible before mixing with the salad, save when otherwise specifiea in recipes where cooked dressings are used. The quantity of oil and vinegar may be increased or diminished according to taste^ as many persons prefer a smaller portion of the former, and when sugar is used the quantity will depend somewhat upon the acidity
of the vinegar. In using raw eggs, the yolks make a richer dressing and when making a quantity it is economical to prepare it on baking day, using the whites for cake. Appropriate dressings for each salad are suggested in recipes, but any dressing preferred may of course be used instead. When mixed, green salads should be stirred as little as possible, in order that their freshness may be preserved until they are served. Borage, summer savory, chervil, nasturtium, sorrel and endive (which must be blanched or it is bitter) may be added to green salads. In preparing meat salads, all the ingredients, except the delicate green, if any is used, mav be prepared the dav before using if kept on ice or m cold place, but must not be mixed until an hour or two before servins. Then add the dressing and mix by tossing up lightly with a wooden or silver fork, turn into salad-bowl or on platter and shape into an oval mound, taking care to handle very lightly, never using the least pressure to get it into form ; then place on ice or in very cold place till ready ifi serve, as cold salad must be ice cold to be at its prime. Or mix only a part of the dressing with the salad and place remainder over the top. The salad is sometimes mixed with a plain dressing and a Mayonnaise placed over just before serving ; or the entire dressing may be poured over the top. ^ The Mavonnaise, or a cooked dressing is generallv used with chicken, fish or meat salads, and most vegetable salaas ; for green salads, lettuce, cress, etc., the French or any plain dressing is most appropriate.