Light And Easy Nicoise Salad Food

THE BEST NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• First, make the vinaigrette by adding all of the ingredients to a jar fitted with a lid, close tightly, shake well, and set aside.
• Add the potatoes to a medium pot and fill with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch then bring to a boil. Add 1-2 teaspoons of kosher salt, reduce to a rolling simmer, and cook until tender so the potatoes can be pierced with a fork or skewer or for about 15 minutes. Use a spider or strainer to transfer the potatoes from the pot, reserving the hot water. Cut the potatoes in half and place in a bowl then while still warm, drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette dressing and set aside to cool.
• Add the green beans to the pot of hot water and simmer for 1 minute or until the green beans turn bright green. Drain the water and set the beans aside to cool.
• On a large platter, arrange the tuna, potatoes, green beans, halved tomatoes, boiled eggs, olives, red onion, capers, and hard-boiled eggs. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette or serve it on the side.

CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; drizzle with the wine and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.
• Place the eggs in the reserved saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
• Toss the tomatoes ian a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/4 cup dressing to the potatoes and toss. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.
• Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, hard-cooked eggs and tuna on top. Pour any juices from the tomatoes into the dressing, then add the tomatoes to the plates. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the olives.

LIGHT NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with water by about 2 inches. Add a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium high and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add the snap peas and continue simmering, covered, until the peas are crisp-tender, about 3 more minutes. Drain the potatoes and peas and rinse under cold water; transfer to a large bowl.
• Make the dressing: Puree the tomatoes, olive oil, mayonnaise, vinegar and 1 tablespoon water in a blender.
• Divide the lettuce among 4 bowls and drizzle with some of the dressing. Add the tuna, bell pepper, olives and basil to the potatoes and peas; add the remaining dressing and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper, then pile on top of the lettuce.
• Photograph by Antonis Achilleos

QUICK NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, until tender, 8-10 minutes, adding green beans during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain potatoes and beans; immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry., In a small bowl, combine salad dressing, lemon zest and pepper. Divide romaine among 4 plates; arrange potatoes, green beans, eggs, tuna and tomatoes over romaine. Serve with dressing mixture.

LIGHT AND EASY NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring the potatoes to a boil in a largesaucepan of water. Add salt; reduce heat,and simmer until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain; let cool slightly.
• Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces;peelany loose skins. Dress with enoughvinaigrette to coat lightly (reserve remainder). Season with salt and pepper.Set potatoes aside.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.Cover eggs with water in a small saucepan; bring to a full boil. After 1 minute,cover and turn off heat. Let stand 6 minutes. Rinse; transfer to ice-water bath.
• Prepare another ice-water bath; setaside. Bring a medium saucepan of waterto a boil; add salt. Blanch green beansuntil crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain;rinse with cold water. Let stand in ice-water bath until cool. Drain; pat dry.
• Peel the eggs, and halve lengthwise.Arrange lettuce, then potatoes, greenbeans, bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumber,fennel, tuna, eggs, and olives on a platter.
• Sprinkle with scallion and parsley,and with capers if desired. Drizzle withvinaigrette, and serve with remainder.

SALAD NIÇOISE

Steps:

• First, make the dressing. Tip the olives, anchovies and garlic into a large mortar and mash with a pestle until you have a very rough paste. Scrape into a bowl, if you like, stir in the lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar, then set aside.
• Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 15 mins until tender, then drain and set aside. Cook the beans in boiling salted water for 4-5 mins until tender with a slight crunch. Drain, tip into iced water, then drain again and set aside. Boil a small pan of water and cook the eggs until cooked to your liking, about 6 mins for a soft yolk and 7½ mins for a harder yolk.
• Halve the potatoes and heat 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan. Place the potatoes cut-side down in the pan and sizzle for about 4 mins until golden and crisp. Toss the potatoes in the pan to brown on all sides, then turn up the heat and add the tomatoes. Fry the tomatoes for about 1 min until just starting to blister, then season. Splash in 1 tbsp of the balsamic vinegar, then turn off the heat and scatter over the basil.
• To cook the tuna, place a non-stick frying pan over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and add 1 tbsp oil. Season the tuna generously, then sear for 4 mins, leaving it undisturbed in the pan to brown. Turn over and continue to cook for 4 mins on the other side. This will give you very rare tuna. For rare, cook for 2 mins more on each side and for well done, add another 4 mins on each side. Set the tuna aside to rest for a few mins.
• To serve, whisk the remaining oil and vinegar with the lemon juice in a small bowl and toss in the lettuce wedges. Place a spoonful of olive dressing into 2 serving bowls, arrange the potatoes and tomatoes over, then put a pile of beans on top. Slice the tuna in half at a slight angle and place each half on top of the beans. Wedge the lettuce around the outside, halve the eggs and position in between the lettuce. Dollop a small spoonful of olive dressing on each egg.

SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• To make the dressing, mash the garlic and anchovy, if using, with a small pinch of salt on a board using the blade of a large knife, or in a pestle and mortar. Combine the paste with the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stir in the tuna oil. Set aside.
• Tip the new potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water, ensuring they're well covered. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the beans and cook for 5 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Cook the potatoes for another 5 mins until tender, then drain and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, and toss in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the dressing. Leave to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a second pan of simmering water for 7½ mins, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain the beans and eggs, then peel and halve the eggs.
• Tip the lettuce quarters, cooked beans and olives into the bowl with the potatoes. Add most of the remaining dressing and gently toss. Divide the salad between two bowls, and top with the tomatoes and eggs. Flake over the tuna, then drizzle with the rest of the dressing and season.