SALAD NIÇOISE

The Niçoise salad is a classic French dish consisting of all fresh, uncooked veggies with tuna and anchovies and was made famous in America by none other than Julia Child. This non-traditional take includes mostly raw veggies, egg and red potatoes, along with the traditional green beans, olives, tomatoes, etc. and is served with a Dijon based vinaigrette. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

·         8 small red potatoes, cooked in salted water until tender but not mushy

·         2 lbs haricot vert (green beans), trimmed, blanched in boiling water but still crunchy

·         10 Italian plum tomatoes, quartered (I like to use the oval shaped cherry tomatoes)

·         1 small red onion, sliced thinly

·         1/2 cup black olives (Nicoise or Cailletier olives are traditional but Kalamata works well)

·         pinch of salt

·         1 tsp pepper

·         3/4 cup dressing (recipes follows)

·         6 hard boiled eggs, quartered

·         12 oz cooked tuna filet (canned, water-packed white tuna will do in a pinch)

·         2 oz anchovy fillets

Salad Dressing

·         1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

·         4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

·         1/2 cup olive oil

·         1 tsp sugar (I’ve omitted this in the past, but it really doesn’t taste as good without)

·         1/2 tsp salt

·         1/2 tsp pepper

·         1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley (don’t omit, it makes a difference).

PREPARATION

·         Assemble all ingredients, except eggs and tuna, in a large bowl or on a serving platter.

·         Whisk the mustard and vinegar until smooth. Add the olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking steadily until it thickens and emulsifies (I stop adding oil as soon as it thickens, as I like my dressing on the sour side). Add sugar, salt, and pepper. Mix to blend. Incorporate chopped parsley.

·         Gently toss the salad ingredients to mix. Pour almost all of the dressing over, toss to blend. Arrange the eggs around the outside of the dish, the tuna in the center, and drizzle the remaining dressing over the tuna and eggs, making sure to moisten each yolk. Top with additional chopped parsley.

Serve chilled, with a good quality French baguette, preferably on a front porch on a late spring or summer evening. Throw in a bottle of Pinot Grigio, kick back, watch the sunset and enjoy!