Salade Niçoise

‘‘Some combinations become famous just because the mixture was such a happy one that it has lived on and on, pleasing successive generations of palates. Salade Niçoise is certainly one of these, and so famous that arguments exist as to what is the real ting. Being a great fan of potatoes, beans, eggs, and tomatoes in a salad, I naturally opt for the Escoffier ingredients; I am a great fan of his too, and he was a Niçois, after all’.*

Julia Child – The Way to Cook

Nothing is better than a meal prepared from ingredients that are fresh from the market or your own garden.

Salade Niçoise is a perfect, satisfying meal full of fresh vegetables, eggs, tuna and those lovely Niçois olives. 

In preparing Salade Niçoise presentation is important when you arrange all the wonderful, colorful ingredients on a platter – giving you the first opportunity to feast with your eyes.

Salade Niçoise consists of salad ingredients topped with tuna, French Potato Salad and Niçois olives. This makes for a wonderful lunch or a very satisfying summer dinner.

Salade Niçoise

1 large head of Boston lettuce, washed and dried

2 to 3 Tbs virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed, blanched, refreshed in cold water and dried

2/3 to 1 cup salad dressing, such as Oil and Lemon Dressing* or with garlic variation

3 or 4 fine ripe red tomatoes, peeled if you wish, and cored, quartered and seasoned before serving

8 to 10 ounces oil-packed tuna, drained and flaked

1 quart French Potato Salad*

8 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise

1 can flat anchovy fillets packed in oil, opened and drained just before serving

½ cup black Nicoise-type olives

3 or 4 Tbs capers

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

Assembling.

Shortly before serving, line a handsome large and wide salad bowl or roomy patter with lettuce leaves, drizzle a little olive oil on them, and dust with sprinkling of salt. Toss the beans in a mixing bowl with a little of the dressing, and correct seasoning. Drizzle a spoonful or two of the dressing over the tomatoes. Season the tuna lightly with a spoonful of dressing. Place the potatoes in the center of the bowl or platter; mound beans at strategic intervals, interspersing them with tomatoes and mounds of tuna. Ring the salad with the eggs, and curl an anchovy on top of each. Spoon a little more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley. Serve as soon as possible.

French Potato Salad

1 ½ pounds warm, sliced cooked potatoes

2 Tbs finely minced shallots or scallions

salt and freshly ground white pepper

¼ cup chicken stock or potato cooking water

1 ½ Tbs wine vinegar

2 to 3 Tbs chopped fresh parsley

2 to 3 Tbs light olive oil, optional.

Turn the warm potatoes into the bowl and toss gently with the shallots or scallions, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, stock or cooking water, vinegar, and parsley. Let steep 10 minutes or so, tossing gently several times. Then correct seasoning, toss with optional oil, and the potatoes are ready for serving.

I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful combination in this dish. I think you'll find it a wonderful dish to prepare for lunch or for a special gathering.

déjeuner pour une


Lunch for One

The culinary world was transformed when Julia Child experienced her first French meal of sole meunière.

From that moment on, her journey of love and education of food ultimately introducing American housewives to French cuisine has enriched and enchanted dining for us all.

This week, we are preparing Omelette Roulée

The egg is one of the most marvelously versatile ingredients.

French omelets are, ‘smooth gently swelling golden ovals that is tender and creamy inside’ *

I chose to add fresh Tarragon from my garden. I decorated the plate with a Tarragon blossom and a chive blossom.

For One  (rolled) Omelette*

                                                          2 or 3 eggs

Big pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

Mixing bowl

A table fork

1 Tbsp butter

an omelet pan 7” in diameter at the bottom

Beat the eggs and seasonings in the mixing bowl for 20 to 30 seconds until the whites and yolks are just blended.

Place butter in the pan and set over very high heat. As the butter melts, tilt the pan in all directions to film the sides. When you see that the foam has almost subsided in the pan and the butter is on the point of coloring (indicating it is hot enough), pour in the eggs. It is of utmost importance in this method that the butter be of the correct temperature.

Grasp the handle of the pan with both hands, thumbs on top, and immediately begin jerking the pan vigorously and roughly toward you at an even, 20-degree angle over the heat one jerk per second. It is the sharp pull of the pan toward you, which throws the egg against the far lip of the pan, then back over its bottom surface. You must have the courage to be rough or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several jerks the eggs will begin to thicken. (a filling would go in at this point).

Then increase the angle of the pan slightly, which will force the egg mass to roll over on itself with each jerk at the far lip of the pan. As soon as the omelet has shaped up, hold it in the angle of the pan to brown the bottom a pale golden color, but only a second or two, for the eggs must not overcook. The center of the omelette should remain soft and creamy. If the omelette has not formed neatly, push it with the back of your fork. Turn the omelette onto the plate. Rub the top with a bit of butter and serve as soon as possible.*

Garnishings and Fillings

Aux Fines Herbes (with herbs)

Beat into the eggs at the beginning 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs such as chervil, parsley, chives, and tarragon. Sprinkle more of the same over the finished omelette.

Au Fromage (with cheese)

After the eggs have set for 2 or 3 seconds in the pan sprinkle one or two tablespoons of grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese and finish the omelette.

Other suggestions:

Sprinkle ¼ cup of any of the following cooking ingredients

Diced sautéed potatoes and minced herbs

Diced truffles

Diced sautéed ham, chicken livers, or mushrooms

Diced cooked asparagus tips or artichoke hearts

Diced cooked shrimp, crab, or lobster

Cubes of stale white bread sautéed in butter*