Salade Niçoise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large platter or wide shallow bowl for serving
• •Small jar with lid for vinaigrette
• •Slotted spoon
• •Large pot for blanching

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the potatoes

   Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water by two inches. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer until a knife slides through without resistance, fifteen to twenty minutes depending on size. The flesh should be creamy, not crumbly. Drain and let cool just until you can handle them, then slice into rounds about a quarter inch thick. Warm potatoes absorb dressing better than cold.

   Fingerling potatoes from the farmers market in midsummer have a sweetness that grocery store potatoes cannot match. Ask your farmer which variety holds its shape when sliced.
2. 2

   Blanch the green beans

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it until it tastes like the sea. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender with a vivid green color, two to three minutes. You want them to snap when you bend them, not flop. Transfer immediately to the ice bath to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry.

3. 3

   Cook the eggs

   Lower room temperature eggs into boiling water using a slotted spoon. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for exactly nine minutes. Transfer to ice water and let cool completely before peeling. This timing gives you yolks that are set but still have a tender, almost jammy center. Cut eggs in half lengthwise just before serving.

   Eggs from pastured chickens have yolks so orange they look painted. These are the eggs you want. The pale yellow yolks from factory farms tell you something about how those birds lived.
4. 4

   Make the vinaigrette

   Combine the minced shallot, red wine vinegar, mustard, and a pinch of salt in a small jar. Let the shallot soften in the acid for five minutes. Add the olive oil, close the jar, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste and adjust. The vinaigrette should be bright enough to wake up the vegetables but not so sharp that it overwhelms. Good olive oil matters here. Use one that tastes like something.

5. 5

   Dress the components

   While the potatoes are still warm, toss them gently with two tablespoons of vinaigrette and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, toss the green beans with one tablespoon of vinaigrette. Season the tomatoes with salt and let them sit for five minutes to release their juices. Each component dressed separately ensures every bite is seasoned. This is the difference between a good salad and a great one.

6. 6

   Compose the salad

   Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter, tearing any large leaves into manageable pieces. Place the dressed potatoes in one section, the green beans in another. Scatter the tomatoes across the greens. Break the tuna into large chunks and nestle them among the vegetables. Arrange the egg halves with their golden centers facing up. Tuck the olives and anchovies where they catch light. This is not a tossed salad. Each ingredient occupies its own territory.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the composed platter, letting it pool around the vegetables. Scatter torn basil leaves across the surface. Finish with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately, passing extra vinaigrette at the table for those who want more. Let people build their own forkfuls, choosing which elements to combine with each bite.

   This salad must be dressed moments before serving. The greens will wilt, the potatoes will turn heavy, and the aliveness of the dish will fade if it sits. Compose it at the last possible moment.

Chef Tips

• •At the farmers market, look for haricots verts no thicker than a pencil. They should snap cleanly when bent, never bend without breaking. Tired beans that flop are past their prime.
• •Niçoise olives are small, dark, and briny with a slightly bitter edge. Do not substitute bland California black olives. If you cannot find Niçoise, use another quality olive with character, perhaps a Kalamata or Taggiasca.
• •Oil-packed tuna from Spain or Italy has more flavor and better texture than water-packed. Look for ventresca (belly meat) if you can find it. The extra cost is worth it for a dish where tuna is the star.
• •If tomatoes are not in season, leave them out entirely rather than using the pink, mealy kind shipped from elsewhere. A winter Niçoise can honor the season with roasted beets instead.
• •The anchovies are traditional and provide a salty depth that ties everything together. If you think you dislike anchovies, try them here. Good ones, packed in olive oil, are nothing like the fishy strips on bad pizza.

Advance Preparation

• •Potatoes, green beans, and eggs can be cooked up to one day ahead and refrigerated separately. Bring to room temperature before composing.
• •Vinaigrette keeps refrigerated for one week. Shake well before using.
• •Do not compose the salad until you are ready to serve. Dressed greens wilt within minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)