Fruit Salad

A terse turn-of-the-century fruit salad in the telegraphic style these compilations favored: a list of fruits, a chilled oil dressing, and no quantities for the fruit at all. A few conventions need unpacking before it makes sense at the counter.

• "Latticed" fruitThis means the pineapple and apple are cut in thin slices or strips and laid in a crisscross lattice over the top of the bowl, so the dressing sits beneath a decorative grid. It is a presentation instruction, not a knife cut applied to the whole salad.
• The dressing will not whip as writtenOne cup of olive oil beaten with a teaspoon of lemon juice has nothing to emulsify with and nothing to set it; chilled hard, olive oil simply turns cloudy and semi-solid rather than becoming a stiff dressing. Expect a thick, congealed oil, and beat in considerably more acid, or a spoonful of cream or egg yolk, if you want something that holds.
• Acid balanceStandard proportions of the period ran nearer three parts oil to one part lemon or vinegar. As given, the ratio is roughly 48 to 1, which reads as fruit dressed in seasoned oil. Taste and add lemon by the tablespoon.
• Malaga grapesLarge green-amber table grapes with seeds, common in American markets when this was written. Any large seedless green grape, halved, does the job without the seeding step.
• Cayenne and salt on fruitSavory-sweet fruit salads were normal at the time, served as a salad course rather than dessert. Use cayenne at the pinch level; it should register as warmth behind the fruit, not heat.
• Browning the nuts"Browned" almonds or peanuts means toasted. The recipe gives no method or temperature; a dry pan over moderate heat or a moderate oven both work, watching closely and pulling them as soon as they colour. Chop after toasting and add at the last moment so they stay crisp.
• Assembly and timingCut apples and bananas last and toss them in a little lemon juice, or they will brown before the lattice is finished. Dress and serve within the hour; strawberries and cherries weep quickly under salt.
• YieldNo quantity is given for the fruit. A cup or so of each fruit fills a large bowl and serves six to eight as a salad course; a cup of dressing is generous for that amount, so make a third of it to start.