The Salade Niçoise originated from the French riviera town of Nice in the 19th Century. It is traditionally served on a large plate which is made up of fresh tomatoes, sliced hard boiled eggs, tuna and an olive dressing. There are many variations and it is a popular salad used by chefs. This is my version.
Ingredients for the dressing:
Dijon mustard
Anchovies
Capers
Red wine vinegar
Chopped garlic
Ground black pepper
Chopped parsley
You will also need a Motar and Pestle
Add a spoon of Dijon mustard (I used a soup spoon) to the Motar and Pestle, then anchovies (say 2) and the capers. Grind this in, and add the chopped garlic (optional) and ground black pepper, continue to mix in. The add two tablespoons of red wine vinegar and two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (vary the quantities if required) and continue to mix in. Then add some chopped flat leaf parsley. This will make a thick, rich and tasty dressing.
For the salad:
Little Gem lettuce
Small potatoes to boil
Two or more large eggs
Green beans
Olives
Tin of strained tuna
When the potatoes and green beans are cooked strain them and season them with olive oil and ground black pepper while they are still warm. You can now also slice the boiled eggs up ready for the salad.
Plate up:
Take a large plate or platter and start spreading the dressing from the inside out is a circular motion. Place several little gem lettuce leaves around the plate. Add the potatoes (break them up) and the green beans over the lettuce.
Add the drained tuna and break it up as you place it over the potatoes and beans. Add the baby tomatoes, sliced eggs and olives. Finally spread the remainder of the dressing over the top.
There is a video of this recipe on the Crazy Chef YouTube channel on this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRypuSbydX4