Salade Niçoise, Beautifully Bastardized
The nice people of Nice, France cannot stand the way the rest of the world bastardizes their signature salad. But what has come to be known stateside (and in England, and elsewhere) as Salade Niçoise is pretty damn good. So why not go with it? Even if it’s wrong, it took off for a reason.
That said, we might as well pronounce it correctly. Don’t say “nee-swah”; it’s “nee-swahzz.”
Serves 4.
Ingredients
4 eggs
3/4 pound / 340 grams French green beans, trimmed
1 pound / 454 grams small red potatoes
1 Bibb or Boston lettuce, washed and torn
1 head red-leaf lettuce, washed and torn
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 jars (6.7-ounces / 190 grams each), of oil-packed tuna, or two 5.9-ounce / 140-gram cans of oil-packed or water-packed tuna
1/2 cup niçoise olives
16-20 salt-cured anchovies
For the dressing:
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to gently lower the eggs into the water. Boil for 9 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath to cool for at least 15 minutes. Peel and set them aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and let cool.
3. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, drop in the green beans and cook till just tender, about 4-5 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water or run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
4. Make the vinaigrette: In a smallish bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then stir in the shallots and a few grinds of black pepper.
5. Cut the eggs in quarters. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters, depending on their size. Arrange the lettuce on a large platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and olives on the platter. Drain the tuna and mound it in the center. Lay the anchovies here and there, and set the egg quarters around the periphery. Drizzle the green beans, tomatoes and potatoes with a little of the vinaigrette if you like, and serve the salad, passing the a pitcher with the rest of the vinaigrette separately.
Salade Niçoise, Beautifully Bastardized
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 pound / 340 grams French green beans, trimmed
- 1 pound / 454 grams small red potatoes
- 1 Bibb or Boston lettuce, washed and torn
- 1 head red-leaf lettuce, washed and torn
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 2 jars (6.7-ounces / 190 grams each), of oil-packed tuna, or two 5.9-ounce / 140-gram cans of oil-packed or water-packed tuna
- 1/2 cup niçoise olives
- 20 salt-cured anchovies
- 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium shallots, minced
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare an ice bath and set aside. Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Use a slotted spoon to gently lower the eggs into the water. Boil for 9 minutes, then transfer to the ice bath to cool for at least 15 minutes. Peel and set them aside.
- In a medium saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil over high head, reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 15 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain and let cook.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, drop in the green beans, and cook till just tender, about 4-5 minutes. Drain and shock in ice water or run under cold water to stop cooking. Drain and pat dry.
- Make the vinaigrette: In a smallish bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon mustard and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, then stir in the shallots and a few grinds of black pepper.
- Cut the eggs in quarters. Cut the potatoes in half or quarters, depending on their size. Arrange the lettuce on a large platter or shallow serving bowl. Arrange the green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and olives on the platter. Drain the tuna and mound it in the center. Lay the anchovies here and there, and set the egg quarters around the periphery. Drizzle the green beans, tomatoes and potatoes with a little of the vinaigrette of you like, and serve the salad, passing the a pitcher with the rest of the vinaigrette separately.