Dutch Salad

Ingredients

• 12 anchovies
• 1 herring
• Bologna or Lyons sausage, or smoked ham and sausages
• breast of cold roast fowl or veal
• beetroot
• pickled cucumbers
• at least 3 times the quantity of other ingredients cold boiled potatoes
• 1 tbsp capers
• hard-boiled eggs
• 12 olives, stoned
• oil
• tarragon vinegar
• to taste white pepper
• to taste French mustard

Method

This is a composed salad built on contrast — cold proteins and vegetables in a strict brunoise, held together by a sharp mustardy vinaigrette. The potato acts as the binding mass, its starch absorbing the dressing and tempering the acidity. Everything is cold, everything is cut to the same small dice. This uniformity isn't fussy; it's essential. It ensures even distribution of flavour and texture in every spoonful, and it signals that you've treated each ingredient with equal respect.

Start with the fish. Rinse the anchovies under cold water, then split them lengthwise along the spine. Lift out the central bone — it should come away in one piece — and discard any blood vessels along the backbone. Rinse again in fresh water to remove surface salt and any remaining bloodline. Pat dry and roll each fillet tightly from tail to head; they'll hold their shape if you pack them snugly. For the herring, treat it the same way, then cut the fillets into 5mm pieces. These two carry the salad's umami anchor; do not skip the rinsing or you'll overpower the dish with fishiness.

Cut the sausage (or ham and sausage combination) into 5mm cubes. Dice the cold roast poultry or veal to match — this is your protein ballast and should equal the charcuterie by volume. Cut the beetroot, pickled vegetables, and cold boiled potatoes into identical 5mm dice. Weigh the potatoes as you go; you need at least three times the mass of every other ingredient combined. This isn't arbitrary — potatoes are your vehicle for the dressing and your bulk. Place all the diced elements, capers, and olives into a large bowl.

Boil the eggs hard for ten minutes, then cool in iced water. Shell them and separate whites from yolks. Mince each separately — the contrasting colours matter for plating. Fold the minced egg into the salad gently so you don't crush the potatoes.

Make the dressing by whisking together three parts oil to one part tarragon vinegar with a full teaspoon of French mustard and white pepper to taste. The mustard acts as an emulsifier, binding the fat and acid into a stable dressing rather than a separated slick. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss thoroughly.

Arrange the rolled anchovies and reserved olives on the surface — these are your garnish and your signal that the salad is finished. Serve at once, before the potatoes begin to absorb too much dressing and the whole thing turns sodden.