Mediterranean Salad Salade Nicoise Recipes

SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• Potatoes: Fill a small saucepan with water. Add potatoes, thyme sprig, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Haricots vert: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add a big pinch of salt, followed by haricots verts. Cook until tender with a slight snap, 4-9 minutes depending on size. Eggs: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, use a spoon to gently ease eggs into the water. Cook exactly 7½ minutes. Meanwhile, prepare two ice baths: Fill two large bowls with water and plenty of ice.
• Scallions: Trim away the very end of the root while keeping scallion intact; remove the thick outer layer. Cut away the dark green top, leaving a 3-inch length of white and light-green scallion. Make several 1-inch vertical cuts down the top to create a scallion "brush." Repeat with all the scallions and place them in an ice bath to preserve freshness. Radishes: Slice each radish lengthwise into thin slices. Set aside.
• When beans are mostly tender with a touch of firmness, use a strainer to transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove eggs and place them into the same ice bath. Check potatoes for doneness by piercing one with a knife; there should be no resistance. Remove potatoes and set aside; discard thyme and bay leaf. Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, and set aside.
• Assembly: On a serving platter, layer the Boston lettuce, followed by the baby gem. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and distribute evenly, followed by haricots verts, scallions, whole tomatoes, radish, large chunks of tuna, and eggs. Garnish with leaves of basil and chervil.
• Pit olives (optional): Place olives on a flat surface. Press the bottom of a small bowl on the olives to loosen their pits; remove and discard the pits. Scatter the pitted olives over the salad. Next, tuck small bunches of arugula within the lettuce. Finally, finish assembling the salad by laying about 10 anchovies evenly across the top.
• Chef Boulud offers two options for dressing the salad. Lemon & Oil Dressing: Zest lemon evenly over the salad, then sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with pepper and salt. (Note: Use salt with moderation, since the tuna and anchovies are already salted.) Grand-Mère's Vinaigrette: In a bowl, add the sliced garlic and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a coarse paste. Add mustard, vinegar, and pepper; stir to combine. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly with the fork to emulsify. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, whisking between additions, to thin vinaigrette as desired. Place vinaigrette into a serving dish and serve alongside the salad.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD / SALADE NICOISE

Steps:

• Boil the potatoes for 15 minutes or until ready, peel them and cut them in quarter. Boil the green beans for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Wash, drain and separate the lettuce leaves. Cut the boiled eggs into quarters. Drain the anchovies and tuna. Quarter the tomatoes.
• Season the tomatoes and beans with french dressing.
• Season the lettuce leaves. Place them around a bowl.
• Arrange the potatoes in the bottom of the bowl.
• Decorate with the beans, tomatoes, tuna, anchovies. eggs, black olives.
• Pour in the remaining french dressing. Sprinkle with herbs.

PAN-BAGNAT (A MEDITERRANEAN SANDWICH WITH SALADE NICOISE)

Steps:

• Cut the rolls in half, sandwich fashion. Pull out a small amount of the soft inner portion. Crumble and set aside.
• Brush each of the eight cut portions with a half teaspoon of vinegar and with a half teaspoon of oil.
• Put the reserved crumbled bread pieces into a bowl and add the tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, radishes, onion, green and black olives, capers, garlic, tuna, basil, remaining four teaspoons of vinegar, remaining 10 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper and the hard-cooked eggs. Toss gently to blend thoroughly.
• Heap one-fourth of the salad onto four sandwich roll halves. Top each with a second half and press. Wrap each sandwich tightly in clear plastic wrap and leave at room temperature until ready to serve.

SALADE NICOISE

Steps:

• Heat a well-seasoned grill pan over high heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, anchovy paste, and capers. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Set aside. Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with several inches of cold water. Place the pan, uncovered, over high heat, stirring occasionally, until just before the water comes to a boil. Cover, turn off the heat, and cook for 12 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs with a slotted spoon to ice bath. Let cool completely, about 5 minutes. Pat dry, one egg at a time; peel and halve. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath. Fill a medium saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook haricots verts until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately transfer beans, with slotted spoon, to ice bath. Drain well and pat dry. Drizzle with rice wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath. Place potatoes in medium-sized pot. Cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. Immediately transfer potatoes with slotted spoon to ice bath. Drain well and pat dry. Cut in half lengthwise. Drizzle with vermouth. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Toss lettuces with some of the anchovy-caper dressing and place on large serving platter. Toss potatoes, haricots verts, and cherry tomatoes separately with dressing and arrange over lettuce.
• Arrange tuna over salad and drizzle with dressing. Garnish salad with eggs and Nicoise olives.