salade niçoise
Salade niçoise is a classic dish from the south of France. The starring player is usually olives, supported in part by heavy oil-packed tuna, neither of which appeals to my taste. To me, the best part of a successful salade niçoise is the refreshing array of colors, flavors, and textures. It's delicious, it's healthy (and gluten free), and it's surprisingly easy to make with a little preparation in advance.
This summer, I settled on making my version of salade niçoise to serve to friends: with fresh tuna, haricots verts, cheerful hard-boiled eggs, bright radishes, marinated artichokes, and tender baby potatoes, all dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. (I left the olives on the side.) There's something for everyone.
Salade Niçoise
Suggested components:
4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled completely and halved
1 1/2 lbs baby or fingerling potatoes, boiled until fork tender (see below)
4-5 radishes, scrubbed, quartered or thinly sliced
8oz haricots verts or small green beans, blanched (see below)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
Slices of sesame-crusted tuna (see below)
Vinaigrette dressing (see below)
*You may also consider adding beets, small tomatoes, cucumber, anchovies, and of course olives
All of the components can be prepped and chilled several hours ahead or the day before. To serve, line a large platter with lettuce leaves and arrange all ingredients in separate rows. Drizzle dressing over top. Garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs.
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed with 1/2t kosher salt to make a paste
1/3c olive oil
2T fresh lemon juice
1T dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced (or about a tablespoon minced onion)
Pepper to taste
Whisk everything together in a small bowl. Set aside at room temp.
Potatoes:
Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook just until fork tender and drain. While they are still warm, pour some of the dressing over them and it will soak into the potatoes. This adds tons of flavor. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Haricots verts:
Haricots verts is the french variety of thin green beans. You can also a small or baby green bean with the ends trimmed. To blanch them, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans for just 2-3 minutes until they turn bright green. In the meantime, fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Drain the green beans, rinse them with cool water, and add them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are completely cool, drain the beans and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sesame-crusted tuna:
1lb sashimi-grade tuna steak or 2-3 medallions
Garlic powder and/or ginger powder
White sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds
Many recipes call for the oil-packed tuna fillets in a jar from Whole Foods or wherever. I like to use fresh tuna. Ask your fishmonger for 1lb of sashimi-grade tuna steak or 2-3 medallions. When you're ready to cook, rinse the tuna and pat dry. Sprinkle with garlic powder or ginger powder. Press one side of the tuna onto a plate of sesame seeds, then flip and do the same to the reverse, coating two sides in seeds. Heat canola or other high-heat oil in a pan and cook the sesame sides 1-2 minutes each to desired doneness. Chill. When ready to serve, slice against the grain into thin strips to serve with the salad.
This summer, I settled on making my version of salade niçoise to serve to friends: with fresh tuna, haricots verts, cheerful hard-boiled eggs, bright radishes, marinated artichokes, and tender baby potatoes, all dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. (I left the olives on the side.) There's something for everyone.
Salade Niçoise
Suggested components:
4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled completely and halved
1 1/2 lbs baby or fingerling potatoes, boiled until fork tender (see below)
4-5 radishes, scrubbed, quartered or thinly sliced
8oz haricots verts or small green beans, blanched (see below)
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
Slices of sesame-crusted tuna (see below)
Vinaigrette dressing (see below)
*You may also consider adding beets, small tomatoes, cucumber, anchovies, and of course olives
All of the components can be prepped and chilled several hours ahead or the day before. To serve, line a large platter with lettuce leaves and arrange all ingredients in separate rows. Drizzle dressing over top. Garnish with fresh tarragon sprigs.
Dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced and mashed with 1/2t kosher salt to make a paste
1/3c olive oil
2T fresh lemon juice
1T dijon mustard
1 shallot, minced (or about a tablespoon minced onion)
Pepper to taste
Whisk everything together in a small bowl. Set aside at room temp.
Potatoes:
Boil potatoes in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook just until fork tender and drain. While they are still warm, pour some of the dressing over them and it will soak into the potatoes. This adds tons of flavor. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Haricots verts:
Haricots verts is the french variety of thin green beans. You can also a small or baby green bean with the ends trimmed. To blanch them, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans for just 2-3 minutes until they turn bright green. In the meantime, fill a large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Drain the green beans, rinse them with cool water, and add them to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. When they are completely cool, drain the beans and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sesame-crusted tuna:
1lb sashimi-grade tuna steak or 2-3 medallions
Garlic powder and/or ginger powder
White sesame seeds and/or black sesame seeds
Many recipes call for the oil-packed tuna fillets in a jar from Whole Foods or wherever. I like to use fresh tuna. Ask your fishmonger for 1lb of sashimi-grade tuna steak or 2-3 medallions. When you're ready to cook, rinse the tuna and pat dry. Sprinkle with garlic powder or ginger powder. Press one side of the tuna onto a plate of sesame seeds, then flip and do the same to the reverse, coating two sides in seeds. Heat canola or other high-heat oil in a pan and cook the sesame sides 1-2 minutes each to desired doneness. Chill. When ready to serve, slice against the grain into thin strips to serve with the salad.