Walnut Salad

An assembled salad with no cooking, so the work is in the components: the oranges, the nuts, and a mayonnaise that has to be thin enough to sit as a "layer" without smothering the fruit.

• English walnutsSimply the common walnut, Juglans regia, so named in period American books to distinguish it from the native black walnut, which is far stronger and would overwhelm the orange. Buy shelled halves and toast them dry for a few minutes if they taste flat.
• Mayonnaise dressingIn period books this normally meant a hand-beaten oil-and-egg-yolk emulsion sharpened with lemon or vinegar, made to order rather than bought. Thin commercial mayonnaise with a little lemon juice or cream so it pours into a thin layer rather than sitting in a lump.
• Cut the oranges properlySlice crosswise, then quarter the slices, and lift out the membrane and any seeds; navel oranges work better than juice oranges here because they hold their shape. Drain the cut fruit briefly or the juice will thin the dressing and run on the plate.
• Assemble at the last minuteLettuce collapses under citrus juice and dressed nuts soften quickly. Have the components ready separately and build the plates as they go to the table.
• LettuceThe "nest" wants whole cupped leaves — butterhead or the inner leaves of iceberg. Chopped salad greens will not hold the fruit.
• YieldAs written this is a single serving described once and repeated; a head of lettuce, three oranges and a cup of walnut halves will dress six salad plates.