Asparagus and Shrimp Salad

A plain composed salad from the era when the dressing was thickened with sieved egg yolk rather than emulsified with mustard. The proportions of oil and vinegar are given as a ratio, so the volume is left to the cook.

• The dressing quantityThe recipe gives only a ratio, twice as much oil as vinegar. Three sieved yolks will take something in the region of 6 tablespoons of oil and 3 of vinegar before the mixture slackens past coating consistency, but the point at which to stop is left to the cook. Add the oil a spoonful at a time, then loosen with the vinegar at the end.
• Sieving the yolksPush the hard-boiled yolks through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon; slightly warm yolks go through more easily than fridge-cold ones. The recipe uses only the yolks, so the whites are left over.
• AsparagusCook until a knife slides into the thickest part with no resistance, then cool quickly in cold water so the colour holds. Cut into 1-inch lengths for a tossed salad, or leave the spears whole and spoon the dressing across them.
• The shrimpsA cupful is roughly 5 to 6 oz of small cooked peeled shrimp. Canned shrimp was widely sold when this was written and may well be what was meant; it is firmer and saltier than modern fresh or frozen cooked shrimp, so taste before salting.
• SeasoningCanned shrimp is salty, and the asparagus will carry salt if it was boiled in salted water. The recipe seasons the asparagus and shrimps themselves; if you prefer, season the dressing instead and correct once everything is combined.
• YieldEnough for four as a first course, or two as a light lunch. Dress it no more than a few minutes before serving, since the yolk dressing weeps once it sits on wet asparagus.