OF SALLETS 145 



are given. No good modern cook uses a knife in preparing 

 a salad, and the old herbalists were equally particular. If 

 a knife were necessary it must be of silver. Then the " sallet- 

 dishes " must be of Porcelain or the Holland Delft ware, 

 " neither too deep nor shallow. There must be a Dish 

 in which to beat and mingle the liquid vehicles and a second 

 to receive the crude Herbs upon which they are to be poured 

 and then with a Fork and Spoon kept continually stirr'd till 

 all the Furniture be equally moistened. Some who are 

 Husbands of their oyl pour at first the oyl alone as more apt 

 to communicate and diffuse its slipperiness than when it 

 is mingled and beaten with the acids which they pour on 

 last of all. Tis incredible how small a quantity of oyl (in 

 this quality like the gilding of Wyer) is sufficient to imbue 

 a very plentiful assembly of sallet Herbs. Your Herbs 

 being handsomely parcell'd and spread on a clean Napkin 

 before are to be mingled together in one of the earthen glas'd 

 dishes. Take of clear and perfectly good olive oyl three 

 parts, of sharpest vinegar (sweetest of all condiments), lemon 

 or juice of orange one part, and therein let steep some slices 

 of horse-radish with a little salt : Some in a separate dish of 

 vinegar gently bruise a pod of pepper straining both the 

 vinegars apart to make use of either or one alone or of both 

 as they best like. Then add as much Tewkesbury or other 

 dry mustard grated as will lie upon a half-crown piece. Beat 

 and mingle all these very well together but pour not on the 

 oyl and vinegar till immediately before the sallet is ready 

 to be eaten. And then with the yolks of two new laid eggs 

 squash and bruise them all into mash with a spoon and 

 lastly pour it all upon the Herbs stirring and mingling them 

 till they are well and thoroughly imbued not forgetting the 

 sprinkling of Aromatic and such flowers mentioned and 

 garnishing the Dish with the thin slices of Horse Radish, 

 Red Beet or Berberries, etc. The liquids may be made 

 more or less acid as is most agreeable to your taste. 



" These Rules and Prescriptions duly observ'd you have a 

 sallet for a Table of six or eight persons/' 



Salads in those days must have been artistic triumphs, 



L 



