SALADS - SALADE NICOISE

Serve 6

VINAIGRETTE

½ cup juice from 2 or 3 lemons

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and ground black pepper

SALAD

1 ¼ pounds red potatoes (about 10 small), each potato scrubbed and quartered

Salt

2 tablespoons dry vermouth

Ground black pepper

2 small heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-size pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)

2 (6-ounce) cans tuna packed in olive oil, drained

3 small ripe tomatoes, each cored and cut into eight wedges

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

8 ounces green beans, stems ends trimmed and each bean halved crosswise

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into halves

¼ cup nicoise olives

10-12 anchovy fillets (optional)

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)

VINAIGRETTE

Whisk the lemon juice, oil, shallot, thyme, basil, oregano, and mustard together in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

THE SALAD

Eggs – Place the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with 1 inch water, and bring to a boil over high heat.  Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with 1 quart water and 1 tray of ice cubes or the equivalent.

Transfer the eggs to the ice-water bath with a slotted spoon and let sit 5 minutes.  Peel and cut into halves.

Potatoes – Bring the potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to a boil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until the potatoes are tender when poked with a paring knife, 5 to 8 minutes.  If larger red potatoes are used, cooking time will be a little longer.  With a slotted spoon, gently transfer the potatoes to a medium bowl.  Toss the warm potatoes with the vermouth and salt and pepper to taste.  Let stand 1 minute.  Toss with ¼ cup of the vinaigrette; set aside.

Green Beans – Fill a large bowl of ice water.  Bring the water used to cook the potatoes to a boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and the green beans.  Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.  Drain the beans, transfer to the ice water, and let stand until just cool, about 30 seconds; dry the beans well on a triple layer of paper towels. 

ASSEMBLING

(1) Shortly before serving, line a large and wide salad bowl or platter with lettuce leaves, drizzle a little olive oil on them, and dust with a sprinkling of salt. 

(2) Place the potatoes in the center of the bowl.

(3) Toss the beans in the mixing bowl with a little of the dressing, and season to taste.  Mound the green beans at strategic intervals, interspersing them with tomatoes and mounds of tuna. 

(4) Put the eggs in a ring around the salad bowl and curl an anchovy on top of each (if using).

(5) Toss the red onion slices with a little dressing and scatter on top of the salad.

(6) Spoon vinaigrette over all and scatter olives and capers on top. 

Serve as soon as possible.

Adapted from Best American Side Dishes from the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated and The Way To Cook by Julia Child.