Salade Nicoise
People are always surprised when I post something that is not Mexican and I understand but I cook and eat foods from all over the world. Today I made my last Salade Nicoise of the year. This is a summer dish and, though it's early fall, the vegetables needed for this lovely dish are still in their prime so I am posting this in case you want to go to your nearest green market and pick up the ingredients. It's a perfect lunch dish and one of my favorites. I've tried many recipes but Craig Claiborne's is still the best for me.The trick is to get the best canned tuna possible. Please, please do not use fresh tuna.Recipe: Craig Claiborne’s New York Times Cookbook
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons mustard preferably Dijon or Düsseldorf
- 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1-2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
- 2 pounds green beans
- 2 green peppers
- 4 celery stalks approximately
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 5 medium red-skinned potatoes cooked, peeled, and sliced
- 3 7-ounce cans tuna fish
- 1 2-ounce can flat anchovies
- 10 stuffed olives
- 10 black olives preferably imported Greek or Italian
- 2 small or 1 large red onion
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil or 1 teaspoon dried
- ⅓ cup finely chopped parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped scallions
- 6 hard-cooked eggs quartered
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, combine the mustard, vinegar, salt, garlic, peanut oil, olive oil, pepper and thyme. Beat with a fork until well blended and set aside.
- Pick over the beans and break them into 1½ Inch lengths. Place in a saucepan and cook in salted water to cover until tender but crisp. Drain and run under cold water, then drain in a colander and set aside.
- Remove the cores, seeds and white membranes from the green peppers. Cut the peppers into thin rounds and set aside.
- Trim the celery stalks and cut crosswise into thin slices. There should be about 2 cups of sliced celery. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, make a more or less symmetrical pattern of the green beans, peppers, celery, tomatoes and potatoes. Flake the tuna and add to the bowl. Arrange the anchovies on top and scatter the olives over all.
- Peel the onions and cut into thin, almost transparent slices. Scatter the onion rings over all. Sprinkle with basil, parsley and scallions. Garnish with hard-cooked eggs if desired.
- Toss the salad with dressing after garnished bowl has been presented to the guests for their enjoyment. Serve with a crusty loaf of French or Italian bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 664kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 36gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 230mgSodium: 1519mgPotassium: 1767mgFiber: 10gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2348IUVitamin C: 92mgCalcium: 179mgIron: 7mg