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Alligator-Pear Salad
2 alligator pears Lettuce leaves 1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise on French dressing Alligator pears, or avocadoes, are to be had at fancy fruiterers. Cut each pear into six pieces, giving wedge-shaped sections, and if these are too large, cut each section again lengthwise. Peel and arrange wedges of pears on beds of lettuce leaves. Either French dressing or mayonnaise may be used, but the fruit is rich, therefore the French dressing is preferred by many people.
A plain composed salad that depends entirely on ripeness and on cutting the fruit at the last minute.
- Ripeness is the hingeAn avocado is ready when the flesh yields evenly to gentle pressure at the stem end. Underripe fruit is hard and bland rather than buttery; leave it at room temperature for two to four days, faster in a paper bag with a banana.
- Peel, then cutThe instruction to cut into six wedges and then peel works but tears the flesh. Halve lengthwise, twist apart, remove the stone, then peel each half and slice — the skin comes away in sheets from a properly ripe fruit.
- BrowningCut surfaces begin to discolor within half an hour. Brush or toss with lemon or lime juice and assemble shortly before serving; chilling slows the browning but does not prevent it.
- Dressing quantityHalf to three-quarters of a cup for two avocados is generous by modern taste. Two to three tablespoons of French dressing, meaning oil, vinegar, salt and pepper shaken together, is enough to gloss the wedges.
- MayonnaiseThe book most likely has homemade mayonnaise in mind, though commercial jarred mayonnaise was already on sale by the 1920s. If using commercial mayonnaise, thin it with a little lemon juice or it will sit on the fruit in lumps.
- YieldTwo avocados cut this way serve four as a first course, or two as a lunch salad.