Salade Niçoise

Name: Salade Niçoise
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) small waxy potatoes, halved if larger than a walnut; 200 g (7 oz) green beans, trimmed; 4 eggs; 120 ml (½ cup) mustard vinaigrette, House Vinaigrette; 1 small head butter lettuce or little gem, leaves separated; 300 g (10½ oz) ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, or cherry tomatoes halved; 2 cans (two 5–6 oz cans) tuna in olive oil, about 300 g total, drained; or jarred ventresca; 60 g (⅓ cup) small black olives (Niçoise or Kalamata); 8 anchovy fillets, optional; 4 radishes, thinly sliced, optional; 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley or basil, chopped; fine sea salt and black pepper

A composed salad of tuna, jammy eggs, potatoes, beans and olives

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 40 min
Level: Easy

In Nice the argument about what belongs in this salad never ends. This version takes the generous, main-course route: waxy potatoes and green beans dressed while warm, jammy eggs, good olive-oil tuna, tomatoes, olives and anchovies, all bound with a sharp mustard vinaigrette.

Ingredients

500 gsmall waxy potatoes (1 lb 2 oz)halved if larger than a walnut
200 ggreen beans (7 oz)trimmed
4eggs
120 mlmustard vinaigrette (½ cup)House Vinaigrette
1small head butter lettuce or little gemleaves separated
300 gripe tomatoes (10½ oz)cut into wedges, or cherry tomatoes halved
2 canstuna in olive oil (two 5–6 oz cans)about 300 g total, drained; or jarred ventresca
60 gsmall black olives (Niçoise or Kalamata) (⅓ cup)
8anchovy filletsoptional
4radishesthinly sliced, optional
2 tbspflat-leaf parsley or basilchopped
fine sea salt and black pepper

Diet: Pescatarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: fish, egg, mustard, sulphites
Origin: France (Nice)
Season: Summer

Method

Put the potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and add 1% salt (10 g per liter). Bring to a boil and simmer until a knife slides through without resistance, 12–15 minutes. 14 min
Meanwhile, bring a second pot of water to a boil. Lower in the eggs and cook 7 minutes for jammy yolks. Lift them into a bowl of ice water. Keep the water boiling. 7 min
Salt the egg water and cook the beans until bright green and tender-crisp, 3–4 minutes. Drain and add them to the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain and pat dry. 4 min
Drain the potatoes and, while still hot, halve them and toss with 3 tbsp of the vinaigrette. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. 10 min
Peel and halve the eggs. Toss the beans in 1 tbsp vinaigrette and season the tomatoes lightly with salt.
Arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Group the potatoes, beans, tomatoes, eggs and radishes on top, and set chunks of tuna in the center. Scatter the olives and lay the anchovies over.
Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over everything, finish with herbs and pepper, and serve.

Why it works

Warm potatoes absorb dressing far better than cold ones because their swollen starch is still porous, so they're seasoned all the way through. Shocking beans in ice water halts cooking at the bright, crisp stage and sets their color. A 7-minute egg gives a just-set white and a jammy yolk that acts as extra dressing.

Common mistakes

Dressing cold potatoes: the vinaigrette just coats the outside. Dress them warm.
Overcooking the eggs: gray-ringed yolks taste sulfurous. Time them and chill them.
Using water-packed tuna: oil-packed tuna is far more tender and flavorful here.

Variations

With seared tuna: Replace the canned tuna with 400 g tuna steak, seared 1 minute per side in a very hot pan and sliced (rare center, about 45°C, 113°F).

Make ahead and storage

Cook the potatoes, beans and eggs up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate; bring to room temperature and assemble just before serving.

Notes

If you don't have the house vinaigrette, whisk 1 tbsp Dijon, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 small grated shallot and 90 ml olive oil with salt and pepper.