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2. Put the whipping cream into a cold mixing bowl and whip it until it is stiff. Gently fold the cream into the salmon mixture until it is wholly a part of it. Refrigerate covered with plastic wrap.

Chill for 2 hours before serving, but not longer than 24.

Optional garnish Spoon individual servings onto radicchio leaves, shaping the salmon foam into small, rounded mounds. Top each mound with a black olive—preferably not the Greek variety, but a milder one, such as the ones from California, and align half slices of lemon on either side of the olive, embedding them in the salmon.

Poached Tuna and Potato Roll

HUMBLE CANNED TUNA here undergoes a transformation into a dish as elegant in texture and flavor as it is in appearance. It is combined with mashed potatoes and cheese, shaped into a long roll, then poached in liquid lightly flavored with vegetables and white wine. When cold, it is served sliced, topped by caper mayonnaise.

For 6 to 8 servings

1 medium potato

2 seven-ounce cans imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained

¼ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 whole egg plus the white of 1 egg

Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill

Cheesecloth

FOR THE POACHING LIQUID

½ medium yellow onion, sliced thin

1 stalk celery

1 carrot

The stems only of 6 parsley sprigs

Salt

1 cup dry white wine

MAYONNAISE MADE AS DIRECTED, USING

The yolk of 1 large egg

⅔ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon salt

AND INCORPORATING

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped capers, soaked and rinsed if packed in salt, drained if in vinegar

1 anchovy fillet, chopped very fine

FOR THE GARNISH

Slivered black olives

1. Boil the potato with its peel on until it is tender. Drain, peel, and mash through a food mill or a potato ricer.

2. Mash the tuna in a bowl. Add the grated cheese, the whole egg plus the 1 white, a few grindings of pepper, and the mashed potato. Combine with the tuna into a homogeneous mixture.

3. Moisten a piece of cheesecloth, wring it until it is just damp, and lay it out flat on a work counter. Place the tuna mixture at one end of the cloth, and shape it with your hands into a salami-like roll, about 2½ inches in diameter. Wrap it in the cheesecloth, winding it around three or four times. Tie each end securely with string.

4. To make the poaching liquid: Put the sliced onion, celery stalk, carrot, parsley stems, a pinch of salt, and the wine in a saucepan, oval casserole, or a fish poacher. Put in the tuna roll and add enough water to cover by at least 1 inch. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. When the liquid boils, adjust the heat so that it subsides to the gentlest of simmers. Cook for 45 minutes.

5. Remove the tuna roll, taking care not to split it and lifting it up from both ends at the same time with spatulas. Unwrap it as soon as you are able to handle it. Set aside to cool completely.

6. Make the mayonnaise as directed above. When it is done, mix in the chopped capers and anchovy.

7. Cut the cold tuna roll into slices less than ½ inch thick. Arrange the slices on a serving platter, overlapping them slightly. Spread the mayonnaise over the tuna slices and garnish with the slivered olives. One way of doing it is to place the olives over the middle of each slice, running them in a straight line from one end of the platter to the other.

Ahead-of-time note: The roll can be finished up to this point one or two days in advance. When it has cooled down completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Take it out in time for it to come to room temperature before proceeding with the next step.

Poached Tuna and Spinach Roll

HERE IS ANOTHER preparation in which everyday canned tuna is endowed with a lovely presentation and flavor to match. (Also see Poached Tuna and Potato Roll.)

For 8 servings

1½ pounds fresh spinach

Salt

A 3½-ounce can imported Italian tuna packed in olive oil, drained

4 flat anchovy fillets (preferably the ones prepared at home), chopped fine