Insalata Russa and Shrimp Tramezzini

Ingredients: 2 small carrots, peeled and trimmed, Salt, 1/4 pound tender green beans, ends trimmed, 2-3 small potatoes of equal size, about 1/4 pound, 1/2 pound medium raw shrimp, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 tablespoons chopped cornichons, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, Freshly ground black pepper, 4-6 tablespoons, Maionese al Limone, and 12 slices white bread (pane in cassetta), made from unbleached flour.

The filling for these elegant tramezzini is a creamy mixture of shrimp and finely diced vegetables bound with homemade Maionese al Limone. The vegetables must be cut into small, neat dice; this helps the insalata russa hold together and creates a careful and polished-looking filling. Cook the vegetables until tender but firm; crunchy vegetables are out of place in insalata russa.

Serve with cold white wine for a clean, crisp counterpoint to the richness of the mayonnaise.

Cut the carrots into thirds. Cook in salted boiling water until tender but firm. Drain well and let cool. Cut into small dice.

Cook the green beans in salted boiling water until tender but firm. Drain well and let cool. Gather the green beans lengthwise in a bundle and cut across into very small pieces.

Boil the potatoes in slated water until tender. Drain well and when cool enough to handle, peel them. Let potatoes cool completely, then cut into small dice. If you try to dice them when warm, the potatoes will fall apart. Devein the shrimp by making a shallow cut lengthwise on the outside curve of the shell, cutting right throught the shell. Discard any black vein. Rinse the shrimp under cool running water. Cook the shrimp in salted boiling water very briefly, 1 to 2 minutes, until they turn pink and the flesh is just opaque. Drain well. When cool, use a very sharp knife to cut shrimp into neat dice.

Combine shrimp and all the prepared ingredients in a bowl. Add the capers and cornichons, and stir gently. Season with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside while you prepare the mayonnaise. (For convenience, the mayonnaise may be made in advance.)

Gently fold mayonnaise into the salad, just enough to bind the salad. Add more mayonnaise for a richer insalata russa that holds together a little better. Correct seasonings.

Trim the crusts from the bread. This is optional but makes the tramezzini look more "finished." Spoon the salad on half the bread slices and spread evenly, stopping short about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the remaining bread slices, pressing down gently to bind the filling to the bread. To serve as appetizers, cut tramezzini into quarters.

Makes 6 tramezzini or 24 appetizers.