Plain Lettuce Salad

Ingredients

• one large Cos Lettuce
• from fifty to sixty drops of vinegar
• a teaspoonful of finely-minced tarragon leaves
• the same quantity of minced chives
• a little salt
• a dust of pepper

Method

1. 1

   Pull the leaves off the lettuce, wash if necessary, and place in a basin.

2. 2

   Drip oil over the leaves until they glitter, then add vinegar drop by drop.

3. 3

   Toss the leaves and transfer to a salad bowl.

4. 4

   Add tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book (1898) by Roundell, Charles Mrs, page 260. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

plain Lettuce Salad take one large Cos Lettuce or two small ones. Pull the leaves off with your hand, reject any that are bruised or discoloured, wipe any that are dirty, but use all the clean leaves as they are. In rainy weather some leaves may be muddy and may have to be washed and drained, but avoid this if possible. Put the leaves into a basin, and drip the oil over them till they begin to glitter, working them about with the wooden spoon and fork, and turning them over and over. This is what French people call “fatiguer la salade.” Then add, drop by drop, a little vinegar ; from fifty to sixty drops is ample for a large Lettuce. Turn the leaves over and over, and then lift the salad into the salad-bowl with the fork and spoon. You will find some water at the bottom of the basin which must be thrown away. It would make the Salad sodden and flabby if left with it, and this is the reason for the pre- liminary mixing of the Salad in a basin. Scatter a teaspoonful of finely -minced tarragon leaves over the Salad, and, if liked, the same quantity of minced chives or Onion Threads. A little salt and a dust of pepper

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.