Bowl of Salade Niçoise
(click to enlarge)

Salade Niçoise


France   -   Salade Niçoise
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 7 salad
***
55 min
Yes		 A justly famous and quite substantial salad that can also serve as a light but satisfying lunch - if so used, you can add a 6 ounce can of drained water packed Tuna along with the potatoes and eggs.

10
3
4-1/2
1-1/4
6
7
12
1/3
------
1
7
1/4
1/8
1
1
3
1/2
------

oz

oz
#
oz
oz

c
---
cl

t
t
t
T
T
c
---

Potatoes, red
Eggs
Green Beans
Tomatoes, ripe
Onion, white
Bell Pepper grn
Black Olives (1)
Chervil (2)
-- Dressing
Garlic
Anchovy fillet (3)
Salt
Pepper
Marjoram dry
Basil fresh
Vinegar, wine (4)
Olive Oil ExtV
-- Garnish
Lettuce Leaves

Since the dressing is added at serving time, this salad can be made ahead.

Prep   (45 min)
  1. Make the Dressing. It should have a couple hours to mature. I just toss all the ingredients in a min-prep food processor and run it until very well blended.
  2. Cook POTATOES in boiling water until just done (a sharp skewer encounters no hard spot going through the center of the largest potato). Chill thoroughly, and with a very thin knife cut into dice between 1/2 and 3/4 inch.
  3. Hard boil EGGS. The yolks should be cooked quite firm. Chill them thoroughly, shell and cut into quarters.
  4. Cut GREEN BEANS diagonally into 1 inch lengths. Drop into boiling water and cook until just barely tender. Refresh in cold water.
  5. Bring plenty of water to a boil and toss in the TOMATOES for just 1 minute, chill in cold water and peel. Cut into 3/4 inch dice and drain.
  6. Peel ONIONS and slice into thin rings.
  7. Cut BELL PEPPERS into thin rings (if very small) or narrow strips (easier to eat).
  8. Pit OLIVES and cut in half crosswise.
  9. Chop CHERVIL coarse.
Run   (10 min)
  1. When ready to serve, toss together All Salad items (see Note-5). Hold the Potatoes until next to last and the Eggs until last so they don't get mushed up.
  2. Line individual bowls with lettuce leaves, place salad on top and drizzle with dressing. Serve.
NOTES:

  1. Black Olives:

      Use Mediterranean brine or salt cured olives, not those canned "California olives". The recipe calls for small olives, so if all you have is very large ones, make two cuts instead of one. For details see our Olives page.

  2. Chervil

      This is the gourmet's favorite herb, because it's almost impossible to find in North America, even in Los Angeles. To fake it up use the inner (yellowish) stems and leaves of celery, 3/4 by volume, parsley leaf almost 1/4 by volume, and a few leaves of Tarragon. I have successfully used Armenian canned Chervil in this recipe. For details see our Chervil page.

  3. Anchovies:

      If at all possible use Italian or Spanish Anchovy Fillets (they'll be packed in jars). Morocco produces nearly all the canned anchovies in the world - and their anchovies are generally of poor quality. For details see our European Anchovy page.

  4. Vinegar:

      Here I'm using a little more vinegar to oil than is the custom in France, because I like my dressing a bit tart. Adjust either way to your preference. Use your best white wine vinegar for this salad.

  5. Serving:

      This salad is often served as performance art. A shallow bowl is lined with lettuce and the various vegetables are arranged over it in an artful manner. The bowl is presented at the table and dramatically tossed there. It is then parted out to bowls and the dressing drizzled over it. When I serve it as buffet dish I make two recipes of salad and three of dressing. I set the salad out in a bowl and the dressing in a separate container with a 1 ounce ladle.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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