Italian Salad is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic Italianate salad of potatoes, beans, asparagus, cabbage and meat in a wine vinegar or Tartar sauce dressing. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Italian Salad.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Italian Salad that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé Francatelli's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 372.—ITALIAN SALAD.
Italian salads are composed of every variety of raw salads, added to all kinds of meat or fish, and cooked vegetables; and also of tunny, anchovies. olives capers, and pickles.
Cut two cold potatoes and half a beetroot in slices half an inch thick, punch these out with a long tin vegetable cutter, and put them into a basin with equal quantities of green peas, heads of asparagus, buds of cauliflower or brocoli, small Windsor beans, cut French beans, boiled celery, seakale, Brussels sprouts, cooked haricot beans or lentils. Let it be clearly understood that, although every kind of vegetable named above form component parts of an Italian salad, yet it is not intended that they should all be used for that purpose at one and the same time : due regard must be had to what is in season, without losing sight of the fact that, in all cases. it is essential to study economy and convenience :—thus, for instance, beetroot and potatoes being at all times easily obtained, let these and some kind of salad in season be mixed in equal proportions ; to these add any three or four sorts of cooked vegetables you may happen to have, a little shred ham, fowl or game, tunny, anchovies, pickles, or olives ; season with vinegar or Tartar sauce, mix lightly together, and serve in a salad-bowl. Note.—These salads are also used for garnishing aspic borders, and cold entrées of fish.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 potatoes, boiled, cooled, peeled and cut into slices 1cm thick
100g cooked green peas
80g asparagus heads, steamed until tender or 100g broccoli (or cauliflower) florets, steamed until tender
100g small Windsor (broad/fava) beans, boiled until tender
100g French beans, cut into 1cm lengths, steamed until tender
60g cooked haricot beans (or puy lentils)
100g Savoy cabbage, lightly steamed and shredded
100g cooked ham, shredded or 100g cooked game, fowl or tuna, shredded
6 tbsp white wine vinegar or Tartar sauce, to dress
Method:
Cook all the vegetables and beans until tender. Take the potato slices and either dice or stamp out attractively with a tin cuter. Set aside to cool.
Once all the vegetables are tender, mix in a salad bowl. Immediately before serving, pour over the vinegar or Tartar sauce. Toss lightly to combine and serve.
