For english speakers, here is an english translation of the recipe for « Japanese salad Francillon » Alexandre Dumas’ son!

For full details of this historical-literary salad, show « Salade japonaise Francillon, » in French version ! ^[1]

Just a little advice: to make this recipe at the foot of the letter, you must have at hand good fruity olive oil, vinegar Orleans, a bottle of sweet white Bordeaux Chateau Yquem, a large amount of real truffles, a grand piano and a girl of good education knowing divinely interpret Wagner on piano!

And here’s the recipe as written in Act I d2 of the play Francillon of Alexandre Dumas’son, played for the first time in the « Théâtre-Français » (now « La Comédie Française »), January 17, 1887.

Contrary to what is commonly peddled on the web, this salad isn’t a salad of Japanese artichokes, but a salad of potatoes and while bearing the designation of Japan, it contains no ingredient is japanese but could not french is raining! As Annette says in the play : I called her like that « For it has a name, everything is Japanese now. ».

And now, the recipe:

Annette: Cook the potatoes in broth, cut them in slices as for an ordinary salad and, while they are still very hot, season them with salt, pepper, a very good fruity olive oil, vinegar.

Henry: Tarragon?

Annette: Orleans is better; but that is not important. The important thing is half a glass of white wine: ‘Chateau-Yquem’, if possible. Plenty of fines herbs finely chopped. At the same time cook in court bouillon ^[2] some very large mussels with a stalk of celery; drain carefully and add to the potatoes.

Teresa: Not as many mussels as potatoes?

Annette: A third less. So that, little by little, you smell the mussels. You must not be able to detect it; neither must it be too strong. When the salad is made, toss it lightly; arrange in the shape of a ‘calotte de savant’ (a wise man’s skullcap) and cover it with sliced truffles.

Henry: Cooked in champagne?

Annette: Of course. This must all be done two hours before dinner so that the salad is very cold when served.

Henry: The salad bowl could be surrounded with ice.

Annette: No! No! No! You must not hurry it. It is very delicate, and its various aromas must be allowed to blend quietly. Was the salad you ate today good?

Henry: Marvelous!

Annette: Well, follow my recipe, and you will have the same pleasure.