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Salad Nicoise is essentially a French composed salad, much like our American Cobb salad, but with tuna, green beans, and potatoes, instead of chicken, bacon, and avocado. Salad Nicoise hails from Nice, on the Mediterranean Sea, though like so many foods we enjoy here of French origin, has changed a bit to adapt to our tastes. According to the Wikipedia the Nicoise salads are always made with raw vegetables and served with anchovies. Nicoise salads that are served in America are typically served on a bed of lettuce and include cooked green beans and potatoes. According to our Paris insider, the Nicoise salads there are all made with canned tuna. Depending on the establishment here, I’ve had them either with canned or with freshly grilled tuna. Like its American Cobb salad cousin, the Salad Nicoise takes some time to prepare, given all of the ingredients. This is one dish where setting up your mise en place (all ingredients chopped and ready to go) will help the salad come together smoothly.
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Category
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Entree
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Chef
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simplyrecipes.com
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Contributor
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Jeremiah
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Last Update
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1/9/2013 6:29:20 PM
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Prep Time
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45
min
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Cook Time
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15
min
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Serves
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6
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Ingredients
arrow_right Vinaigrette
arrow_right Lemon Juice, 1/2 Cup
arrow_right Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, 3/4 Cup
arrow_right Shallot, 1 Medium
arrow_right Fresh Thyme Leaves, 1 Tbsp Minced
arrow_right Fresh Basil Leaves, 2 Tbsp Minced
arrow_right Fresh Oregano Leaves, 2 Teaspoons Minced
arrow_right Dijon Mustard, 1 Teaspoon
arrow_right Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
arrow_right
arrow_right Salad
arrow_right Tuna, 2 Steaks (8 Oz Each) Or 2-3 Cans Of Tuna
arrow_right Eggs, 6 Large
arrow_right New Red Potatoes, 10 Small
arrow_right Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper
arrow_right Boston Lettuce Or Butter Lettuce, 2 Medium Heads
arrow_right Ripe Tomatoes, 3 Small
arrow_right Red Onion, 1 Small
arrow_right Green Beans, 8 Ounces
arrow_right Nicoise Olives, 1/4 Cup
arrow_right Capers, 2 Tbsp
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Cooking Instructions
PREPARATION
Marinate tuna steaks in a little olive oil for an hour.
Mince: shallot, thyme, basil, and oregano
Hard boil eggs then peel and quarter
Scrub and quarter potato
Wash, dry, and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces
Core and cut tomatoes into eighths
Slice red onion very thin
Trim stem ends of beans and halve crosswise
Rinse capers and anchovies (if using)
COOKING
Heat a large skillet on medium high heat, or place on a hot grill.
Cook the tuna steaks 2 to 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
Whisk lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard in medium bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in a large pot.
Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes.
Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl with a slotted spoon (do not discard boiling water).
Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette; set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl until coated.
Arrange bed of lettuce on a serving platter (I used two serving platters, shown in the photos).
Cut tuna into 1/2-inch thick slices, coat with vinaigrette.
Mound tuna in center of lettuce.
Toss tomatoes, red onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in bowl; arrange tomato-onion mixture on the lettuce bed.
Arrange reserved potatoes in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans.
Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain beans, transfer to reserved ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry beans well.
Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste; arrange in a mound at edge of lettuce bed.
Arrange hard boiled eggs, olives, and anchovies (if using) in mounds on the lettuce bed.
SERVING
Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers (if using), and serve immediately.
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