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Cherry Salad
2 cupfuls large, firm cher- Mayonnaise dressing ries Some crisp lettuce leaves ½ cupful blanched and cut almonds Stone the cherries and cut them in halves; then mix them with the almonds and mayonnaise dressing. If mayonnaise is not desired, use a dressing made of four tablespoonfuls of olive oil, one tablespoonful of lemon juice, one teaspoonful of sherry wine, and seasoning of salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg.
Serve in cocottes lined with crisp lettuce leaves. 3 cucumbers
A short fruit-and-nut salad from the era when the word casserole still meant the vessel rather than the dish baked in it. Two details in the text need untangling before you start.
- The stray line"3 cucumbers" at the end belongs to the next recipe in the book, caught by the column layout. Ignore it.
- The almond quantityThe printed page gives half a cupful of blanched almonds, which is what our text now reads. That proportion suits two cupfuls of cherries; a cup and a half would crowd the fruit.
- CocottesSmall individual pots, often lidded, typically around 4 to 6 ounces. Ramekins, small glass bowls or wide-bowled cocktail glasses all serve here, since nothing is cooked.
- Blanching almondsCover whole almonds with boiling water for a minute, drain, and the skins slip off between finger and thumb. Dry them well before cutting or they will slick the dressing. Bagged blanched almonds are an even trade.
- The alternative dressingFour parts oil to one part lemon juice with a teaspoon of sherry is a soft, low-acid vinaigrette by modern taste. It suits sweet fruit, but taste before serving and add lemon if it reads flat. Grate the nutmeg fresh; the pre-ground tin gives a dusty note that fights the cherries.
- MayonnaiseThe period version was made from raw yolk. Commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurised egg and works perfectly well; thin it with a spoonful of cream or lemon juice so it coats rather than clags.
- CherriesFirm, dark sweet cherries hold their shape halved. Pit and halve them shortly before serving, drain off any weeping juice, and dress at the last moment or the lettuce will collapse.
- YieldFour small servings as a first course or a side salad.
Fruit salads bound in mayonnaise were a fixture of American and English tables from the 1890s through the 1920s, when the combination of sweet fruit, nuts and a rich egg dressing read as refined rather than odd — the Waldorf salad, apples and celery under mayonnaise, is the survivor of the same fashion. Serving in cocottes reflects a period interest in the presentation vessel as much as the cooking method: a matched set of little pots let a hostess plate individual portions rather than passing a bowl. The sherry and grated nutmeg in the alternative dressing look back to older English habits, where nutmeg was used with fruit and cream more freely than it is now.