flipSalad à la Dumas, Prepared at Table
Salad à la Dumas, Prepared at Table
Why this dish? Dumas loved to prepare the salad himself in the middle of dinner, rising to whisk the dressing under the eyes of his guests. His *Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine* devotes long pages to the art of seasoning: it is the host's showpiece dish par excellence.
A crisp green salad bound with a dressing made from egg yolk, vinegar, fine oil, and fines herbes — the seasoning becomes a table performance at the novelist-chef's home.
Let me do it, my friend; put away that bottle and hand me the salad bowl! A good salad is not stirred like beating a drum: it requires patience and tenderness. First I mash my hard-boiled egg yolk, I drown in a touch of mustard, and I let the oil flow in a thin stream, gently, like unwinding a plot. Some finely chopped herbs, a dash of vinegar to wake it all up — and you'll see, they'll ask me for more than for my serials!
- •Lettuce or romaine from the garden — two beautiful heads (crisp base)
- •Hard-boiled egg yolk — one (creamy binder)
- •Fine olive oil — to taste (body of the dressing)
- •Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- •Mustard — a pinch (spice)
- •Fines herbes (chervil, chives, tarragon) — a handful (flavor)
- •Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Salad à la Dumas, Prepared at Table
A crisp green salad bound with a dressing made from egg yolk, vinegar, fine oil, and fines herbes — the seasoning becomes a table performance at the novelist-chef's home.
Why this dish? Dumas loved to prepare the salad himself in the middle of dinner, rising to whisk the dressing under the eyes of his guests. His *Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine* devotes long pages to the art of seasoning: it is the host's showpiece dish par excellence.
Let me do it, my friend; put away that bottle and hand me the salad bowl! A good salad is not stirred like beating a drum: it requires patience and tenderness. First I mash my hard-boiled egg yolk, I drown in a touch of mustard, and I let the oil flow in a thin stream, gently, like unwinding a plot. Some finely chopped herbs, a dash of vinegar to wake it all up — and you'll see, they'll ask me for more than for my serials!
Ingredients (period version)
- Lettuce or romaine from the garden — two beautiful heads (crisp base)
- Hard-boiled egg yolk — one (creamy binder)
- Fine olive oil — to taste (body of the dressing)
- Wine vinegar — a dash (acidity)
- Mustard — a pinch (spice)
- Fines herbes (chervil, chives, tarragon) — a handful (flavor)
- Salt and pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Lettuce or romaine — 2 heads (base)
- Hard-boiled egg yolk — 1 (binder)
- Olive oil — 6 tbsp (body)
- Red wine vinegar — 2 tbsp (acidity)
- Dijon mustard — 1 tsp (spice)
- Chervil, chives, tarragon — 1 small bunch (flavor)
- Salt, pepper — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Wash and thoroughly dry the salad, tear the leaves by hand.
- In the bottom of the salad bowl, mash the hard-boiled egg yolk with the mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Pour the oil in a thin stream while whisking, then loosen with vinegar to obtain a smooth dressing.
- Chop the fines herbes and stir them in.
- Add the salad at the very last moment, toss generously, and serve immediately.
How it was made : In the 19th century, preparing one's salad at table was a mark of the host's refinement. Dumas turned it into a social ritual, as reported in his *Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine*, where he discusses the right balance between oil and vinegar.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a large wooden salad bowl and prepare the dressing in front of your guests: the "à la Dumas" gesture still impresses.
Sources : Alexandre Dumas, Grand Dictionnaire de cuisine, 1873 (posthumous)
Alexandre Dumas · Charactorium
