Alexandre Dumas Salad
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I was taken by this recipe contributed by a relative unknown, but attributed to the famous French writer of "The Three Musketeers" and other tales (the title in the cookbook has this underline: "his own invention and his favorite salad").
It made me look up rampions, which I learned were once much more well-known radish-like root vegetables that show up in the story of Rapunzel and other places. I tracked down some seeds for the plant -- the perennial bellflower -- on the Internet and should be able to enjoy a more authentic version of this salad this summer.
- 1-inch cube tuna
- 2 anchovy fillets
- 1 hard-cooked egg
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon French mustard
- 1 pickled gherkin
- 3 springs chervil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce (or Worcestershire)
- 4 to 5 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
- 1 cooked beet
- 1 cold cooked potato
- 1 small celeriac
- 1 cooked rampion (turnip will do)
- Salt, lettuce leaves, Hungarian paprika
Make a paste by mashing tuna and anchovies. Work egg yolk smooth with oil and mustard and mix with fish paste. Mince egg white, pickle, and chervil and mix all these together with soy and vinegar. Arrange lettuce leaves in bowl. Slice vegetables and put in bowl with lettuce. Season with salt and paprika. Pour the first mixture over it all and toss lightly but thoroughly for about 20 minutes.
-- Mrs. Drexel Cromwell, New York City, in "Specialites de la Maison" (reprinted in 2010 by Collins Design, $19.99)
First Published June 6, 2010 12:49 am
