Nice Nicoise

I'm a lover of seafood, but tuna's not my top choice, and eggs -- well, you know the story there, so I've always been a bit dubious of the Niçoise salad.  It certainly looked good, but with the stars of the show being two ingredients I was not very fond of  I never gave the Niçoise a fair shot.

The Niçoise salad is a specialty of the Cote D'Azur region of France.  Originating in and named for the city of Nice, this French Riviera favorite was made famous by kitchen legend Julia Child. 

Here's Julia's recipe: (from Julia's Kitchen Wisdom: Essential Techniques and Recipes from a Lifetime of Cooking)

1 large head Boston-lettuce leaves, washed and dried
1 pound green beans, cooked and refreshed
1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 to 2/3 cup basic vinaigrette (recipe follows)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 or 4 ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges (or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved)
3 or 4 "boiling" potatoes, peeled, sliced, and cooked
Two 3-ounce cans chunk tuna, preferably oil-packed
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets
1/3 cup small black Niçoise-type olives
2 to 3 tablespoons capers
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Shortly before serving, toss the beans with the shallots, spoonfuls of vinaigrette, and salt and pepper. Baste the tomatoes with a spoonful of vinaigrette. Place the potatoes in the center of the platter and arrange a mound of beans at either end, with tomatoes and small mounds of tuna at strategic intervals. Ring the platter with halves of hard-boiled eggs, sunny side up, and curl an anchovy on top of each. Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.

Basic Vinaigrette

1/2 tablespoon finely minced shallot or scallion
1/2 tablespoon Dijon-type mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup excellent olive oil, or other fine, fresh oil
Freshly ground pepper

Either shake all the ingredients together in a screw-topped jar, or mix them individually as follows. Stir the shallots or scallions together with the mustard and salt. Whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar, and when well blended start whisking in the oil by droplets to form a smooth emulsion. Beat in freshly ground pepper. Taste (dip a piece of the salad greens into the sauce) and correct seasoning with salt, pepper, and/or drops of lemon juice.

A few weeks ago I was engrossed in my DVR'd episodes of The Barefoot Contessa.  Gold ol' Ina was cooking for some friends and was serving a salmon Niçoise platter.  Salmon is my one of my favorites.  It's not something you typically see on the menu at french bistro's but it could certainly make an appearance in my kitchen -- and DID IT EVER.  Instead of serving it deconstructed platter style like Ina, I mixed all the ingredients together.  This is definitely one of my favorite dishes to date.

So, don't shoot me, I didn't use eggs --but most definitely add them if you please!

(2 servings)

8 medium red creamer potatoes, sliced
6 ounces haricots verts, trimmed and halved
12 black olives, halved
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 cups mixed salad greens
12 small cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 6-8 oz center cut salmon
Preheat the oven to 475.

Place the salmon, skin down on a baking sheet drizzled with olive oil.  Season the salmon with salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 12-15 minutes or about 12 minutes per inch at the thickest part of the salmon. The internal temperature will be 120 degrees F on a meat thermometer when it's done.

Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring medium sized pot of water to a boil. Place potatoes in the the boiling water, cook until tender when pierced with a fork, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer the potatoes with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Add the haricots verts to the water, and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the haricots verts with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Transfer the potatoes and haricots verts to a towel-lined baking sheet to drain.

Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, dill and pepper in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and green beans, salad greens, tomatoes and olives.  Toss gently to coat.

[julia child] Bon Appetit! [/julia child]