Salade Niçoise

prep time:: 45 min
total time:: 1 hr

Serves 6 as a light main course

This ubiquitous salad of Provence can be prepared a hundred different ways, and each person is sure that their way is the true authentic version. It almost always has tuna, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, hard boiled eggs, anchovies and, or course, niçoise olives, other than that, anything goes. The key to the bright flavors in this recipe is to cook and dress each ingredient separately then compose them together on individual plates, or serve on a large platter.

ingredients

Vinaigrette

1/2 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup olive oil
1 shallot
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
2 tsp. fresh oregano, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Salad

4 large eggs, hard boiled
10 small new red potatoes, sliced very thin
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp dry vermouth (optional)
2 med. heads boston lettuce
2 6-oz cans olive oli packed tuna (or fresh cooked tuna)
3 vine ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion
1/2 # fresh green beens
1/4 cup niçoise olives
10-12 anchovy fillets (optional)
2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed (optional)

directions

1
Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together. Salt and pepper to taste.
2
Salad:
3
Potatoes: Boil in salted water until barely tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from water and toss with vermouth, salt and pepper to taste. Let stand 1 minute, then toss in 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Set aside.
4
Beans: In same water, cook green beans till tender, but crisp, 3-5 minutes. Drain, transfer to ice water to stop cooking. After 1 minute, drain and dry will on towel.
5
Lettuce: Toss with 3 Tbsp. vinaigrette, and arrange either on individual plates, or on large platter.
6
Tuna: Drain well, place in now empty lettuce bowl, break into bite size chunks. Toss with 1/2 cup vinaigrette. Add to plates or platter. (A nice option is to use fresh tuna!)
7
Tomatoes: Core and cut into eighths. Toss with red onion, salt and pepper and 3 Tbsp vinaigrette. Add to plates or platter.
8
Finishing: Toss beans with 3 Tbsp vinaigrette, and add to plates along with eggs, niçoise olives anchovies and capers. Serve immediately!

notes

This recipe is big enough for a summer dinner party, but can easily be halved or quartered. The quantities are just suggestions, so don’t worry if there is a lot more or less of anything. Do use the best tuna you can find, or best yet, cook some fresh!

Source: Philippe Gion