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Nicoise Salad

Nicoise Salad
  • Category

    Salad

  • Cusine

    French, Provencal

What do you need?
How to make?

Ingredients

1/3 cup lemon juice or red wine vinegar

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp finely chopped shallot

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano or tarragon

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 grilled or otherwise cooked tuna steaks* or 2-3 cans of tuna

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1 1/4 pounds small young red potatoes or fingerling potatoes

2 medium heads Boston lettuce or butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces

3 small ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

1/4 cup niçoise olives

2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and/or several anchovies

Directions

*Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill. Cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

In a jar, place the oil, lemon juice or vinegar, shallots, herbs, and mustard. Cover with a lid and shake until well blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place onion slices in a small bowl and sprinkle with 3 Tbsp of the vinaigrette. (The onions soaking in the vinaigrette will help take some of the bite out of them.

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Add 1 Tbsp of salt. Heat on high to bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or so, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain. While the potatoes are still warm, cut them into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the potatoes. Place them in a bowl and dress them with about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette.

While the potatoes are cooking, fill a medium sized pot halfway with water, and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil on high heat. Add the green beans to the boiling water. Cook until tender but still firm to the bite, about 3-5 minutes . Drain and either rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, or shock for half a minute in ice water.

Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter. Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices. Mound tuna in center of lettuce. Sprinkle the tomatoes and onions around the tuna. Arrange the potatoes and green beans in mounds at the edge of the lettuce. Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies in mounds on the lettuce bed. Drizzle everything with the remaining vinaigrette. Sprinkle with capers if using. Serve immediately. Should be served slightly warm or at room temperature.