Nicoise Salad recipe: Julia Child inspired

August 14, 2:33 AMProvidence Food ExaminerDonna Diegel

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Salade Nicoise

Salad Niçoise Recipe inspired by The French Chef: Black Nicoise olives, fresh or white albacore tuna, hard boiled eggs, heirloom tomatoes and fresh green beans set this salad apart from the ordinary ho-hum salad. Bon Appétit!

The Niçoise Salad

"Niçoise salad (pronounced ni?swaz), sometimes referred to as Salade Niçoise or insalata nizzarda, is a type of salad. As suggested by the name, it is a specialty of the Cote D'Azur region of France, originating in and named for the city of Nice. Others claim it is a Provencal dish. This salad was made famous in America by the "French" chef, Julia Child," says Wikipedia.

Salade Niçoise Recipe

• 1 large head green leaf lettuce or mesclun washed and dried (Boston lettuce is nice for this salad)
• 1 pound cooked fresh or frozen green beans
• 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped red onion
• 3/4 cup bottled or homemade vinaigrette dressing
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 red potatoes, peel on, cooked and sliced
• 4 medium ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
• Two 3-ounce cans solid white albacore tuna, packed in water
• 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved or sliced
• 1 small can anchovy fillets, optional
• 1/3 cup small black olives (Black Nicoise olives are traditionally used)
• 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped parsley

How To Make Salad Nicoise

• Arrange green leaf or mesclun lettuce on a large plate.
• Toss the green beans with the red onion, a few Tablespoons vinaigrette dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Sprinkle a few Tablespoons dressing over the red potatoes and arrange them in the middle of the platter, with the green beans and onion alongside.
• Continue to build the Nicoise Salad in concentric circles around the potatoes, or in neat rows with the tomatoes, eggs and tuna. If using seared tuna steaks, it would be best if they were sliced and placed across the top of the finished salad in rows.
• Sprinkle salad with Nicoise olives and parsley. Add the optional anchovy fillets in one corner of the platter in case someone objects to their fishy taste.
• Drizzle more vinaigrette dressing over the Nicoise salad and serve immediately.
• Serves 6

Nicoise Salad Variations:

• Grilled chicken
• Seared tuna steak with black sesame seeds
• Grilled salmon fillet
• No anchovy fillets

Sources: Wikipedia.com
Photo Credit: Paul Goyette under Creative Commons License