Orange Salad

A two-minute assembly salad that lives or dies on how the oranges are cut and how sharp the dressing is. The instruction that matters is the one that reads like an aside: leave the mustard out of the mayonnaise, because mustard fights citrus.

• Cutting the oranges"Thinly-sliced" implies the fruit is peeled down to the flesh first, with the white pith removed, then cut crosswise into rounds. Pith left on will make the plate bitter.
• CressThe book means garden cress or watercress, sold in bunches rather than the bagged microgreens now common. Watercress is the closer match: peppery, sturdy enough not to collapse under the fruit. Trim the thick lower stems.
• French dressing, 1900s senseNot a sweet orange-colored bottled dressing but a plain vinaigrette — roughly three parts oil to one part acid, salt and pepper, whisked or shaken. Substituting lemon juice for the vinegar, as directed, keeps the acidity in the same family as the fruit.
• Mayonnaise without mustardMany period mayonnaise recipes included dry mustard for flavour, and mustard also helps an emulsion hold. Omitting it gives a milder sauce that suits oranges; the emulsion may be a little less stable, so add the oil slowly.
• The nutsUnspecified, but almonds, pecans or walnuts all suit. Toast and cool them first — untoasted nuts on a wet salad go soft within minutes. Chop coarsely so they read as texture rather than dust.
• Assemble lateSliced citrus weeps steadily. Cut the fruit no more than an hour ahead, drain off the accumulated juice, and dress at the table or immediately before serving.
• Yield and place in the mealThe original gives no quantity. Reckon one medium orange per person as a side salad; four oranges, a bunch of cress and half a cup of nuts serve four. It suits a light course rather than a main dish.