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3. Chicken Salad.
This is justly claimed as an American delicacy,
and is
best made in the State of Massachusetts, where
there are
certain "caterers" who have acquired fame and
fortune by their dexterity in preparing and mixing
the
dish. In reality, it is as simple as it is succulent,
being
merely a salad of such herbs as are in season,
moistened
with a mayonnaise sauce, and made substantial
by the
addition of pieces of cold boiled chicken.
Take a young, tender chicken of not more
than two and
a half pounds ; boil in stock for one hour ;
when cooked
let it get thoroughly cold. Bone your chicken,
cut it up
into small pieces, put it into a deep dish, season
with a
pinch of salt, half as much pepper, one tablespoonful
of
vinegar, and six leaves of chopped lettuce, with
a few
leaves of the white celery cut up. Mix carefully,
lightly,
and thoroughly. Place your mixture in a salad-bowl
and
cover with half a table-cupful of mayonnaise.
Decorate
the top with hard-boiled eggs cut in rings, capers,
stoned
olives, and, if you choose, thread anchovies.
As for the
mayonnaise, it is tartar sauce (p. 348) made
of y yolks of
hard-boiled eggs, oil, mustard, etc., stirred
with a wooden
spoon, and with the oil added c3rop by drop,
but' without
the chopped herbs. It should be a golden yellow
in hue
whereas tartar should be a light greenish cream
colour.
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