Shrimp-Cucumber Salad

A simple marinated salad from the era when canned shrimp were a pantry staple and the salad course carried the meal. The proportions are sound; only the shrimp need rethinking.

• The canned shrimpTins of the period held roughly 4-5 oz drained of small, soft, brine-packed shrimp. Rinse them well under cold water and drain hard, or the brine will overwhelm the dressing. Half a pound of cooked, peeled small shrimp is a direct substitute and better in texture.
• "Clean shrimps"This means pulling off any remaining shell fragments and the dark intestinal vein along the back. Canned shrimp may still have the vein in place, and the step is worth the few minutes.
• The dressing ratioFour tablespoons oil to two of vinegar plus two of lemon juice is a sharp 1:1 acid-to-oil marinade rather than a conventional vinaigrette. The recipe gives it as a marinade rather than a finishing dressing, since mayonnaise is added at the plate. Taste before serving and add oil if it bites.
• Cutting half the shrimpThe recipe halves some of the shrimp into smaller pieces and marinates everything together; the reason is not given, though the mix of small pieces and whole shrimp gives some variety on the plate.
• Chilling timeThirty to sixty minutes is enough. Longer and the acid turns the shrimp firm and chalky and the cucumber weeps water into the bowl.
• CucumberPare as directed if using a thick-skinned field cucumber. Modern seedless or Persian cucumbers need no peeling. Either way, salt the dice lightly and drain ten minutes if you want the salad to stay crisp.
• YieldServes four as a salad course, or two as a light lunch. Drain the marinade off before plating so the lettuce does not collapse.