Home › Salads and Salad Dressings › An Ornamental Fish Salad
An Ornamental Fish Salad
Separate salmon or any other cold cooked fish into several equal parts and arrange each part on crisp lettuce leaves with a little space between each. Fill in these spaces with hard-boiled eggs, cut in quarters, olives, from which the stones have been carefully removed, fillets of anchovies, and the smallest pickled gherkins. Arrange these in mounds and pour around each section a mayonnaise dressing. Put in the refrigerator until very cold. Add a touch of bright color by dotting with lumps of currant jelly.
A composed platter rather than a tossed salad, built for the sideboard buffet. Success depends entirely on the fish being cold, firm and dry before it goes near the lettuce.
- The fishPoached salmon left overnight is ideal, but any firm cooked fish works — halibut, cod, or good tinned salmon drained hard. Flake it into large pieces rather than shredding, and blot on paper towel so the mayonnaise does not slacken and run across the plate.
- "Several equal parts"The recipe does not say how many; four to six mounds spaced evenly on the platter would suit the description, with the garnishes filling the gaps. About 1 lb of cooked fish divided four ways is a reasonable serving for a light lunch.
- Anchovy filletsAnchovies of the period were often salt-packed and considerably saltier than modern oil-packed fillets, so you may want more of them than the recipe implies; if using salt-packed, rinse and pat dry first.
- GherkinsThe closest modern equivalent to the "smallest pickled gherkins" is the cornichon rather than a sweet gherkin. The vinegar sharpness is doing real work against the mayonnaise and the jelly.
- MayonnaisePoured around each mound, not over it — the dressing should pool as a moat so the arrangement stays visible. Thin a stiff jarred mayonnaise with a spoonful of lemon juice or cream until it just flows.
- Currant jellyRed currant jelly, dotted in small beads. It is there for colour and a sweet-tart note against oily fish; a scant teaspoon scattered in drops is plenty, and pomegranate seeds or diced red pepper serve the same purpose if jelly seems odd on a fish plate.
- ChillingAn hour in the refrigerator is enough. Longer and the lettuce wilts under the dressing; assemble on chilled plates if you are working ahead.
- Food safetyCooked fish and boiled eggs dressed with mayonnaise should not sit out more than two hours, and less in a warm room. Serve it straight from the cold.