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Boil a young tender chicken, and when cold separate the meat from the
bones; cut it into little square blocks or dice; do not mince it. Cut
white tender stalks of celery into about three quarter-inch lengths,
saving the outside green stalks for soups; mix the chicken and celery
together; and then stir well into them a mixture in the proportion of
three table-spoonfuls of vinegar to one table-spoonful of oil, with
pepper, salt, and a little mustard to taste. Put this aside for an hour
or two, or until just before serving; this is called marinating the
chicken; it will absorb the vinegar, etc. When about to serve, mix the
celery and chicken with a _Mayonnaise_ sauce, leaving a portion of the
sauce to mask the top. Reserve several fresh ends or leaves of celery
with which to garnish the dish. Stick a little bouquet of these tops in
the centre of the salad, then a row of them around it. From the centre
to each of the four sides sprinkle rows of capers. Sometimes slices or
little cut diamonds of hard-boiled eggs are used for garnishing.
Chicken salad is often made with lettuce instead of celery. Marinate the
chicken alone; add it to the small tender leaves (uncut) of the lettuce
the last moment before serving; then pour _Mayonnaise_ dressing over the
top. Garnish with little centre-heads of lettuce, capers, cold chopped
red beets if you choose, or sliced hard-boiled eggs. Sometimes little
strips of anchovy are added for a garnish. When on the table it should
all be mixed together. Many may profit by this receipt for chicken
salad; for it is astonishing how few understand making so common a dish.
It is generally minced, and mixed with hard-boiled eggs, etc., for a
dressing.
CHICKEN SALAD (_Carême’s Receipt_).
Take some tender pullets; fry them in the sauté pan, or roast them; when
cold, cut them up, skinning and trimming them neatly. Put the pieces
into a tureen, with some salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, some sprigs of
parsley, and an onion cut into slices; mix all well together; cover, and
let stand for some hours; then, just before serving, drain the salad,
taking care to remove all bits of onion, etc., and place it tastefully
on lettuce-leaves, with the hearts of the lettuce on top, and cover with
a _Mayonnaise_ dressing.