Salade Nicoise from The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.
For Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons chopped shallots
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For Salad:
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes or small boiling potatoes
- 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
- Salt
- 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
- 2 heads Boston lettuce (12 ounces total), torn into bite-sized pieces
- 3 hard-boiled large eggs, quartered
- 3 medium tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges each
- 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna in oil, drained and broken into chunks
- 1/4 cup Nicoise olives
- 1 tablespoon drained capers
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Make the dressing: Blend shallots with lemon juice, mustard, salt, and pepper in a blender. With motor running, add oil in a stream, scaling down sides of blender as necessary, and blend until well combined. Add parsley and blend until finely chopped.
Make the salad: Combine potatoes and cold well-salted water to cover by 2 inches in a 4-quart heavy saucepan and brin got a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, cook beans in a 2-quart saucepan of boiling well-salted water, uncovered, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again; pat dry. When cool enough to handle, peel potatoes and halve lengthwise. toss with 2 tablespoons dressing and salt to taste in a large bowl. Add beans and bell pepper and toss.
Toss lettuce with just enough dressing to coat in another large bowl, then spread on a large platter. Scatter potatoes, beans, and bell pepper over lettuce and top with eggs, tomatoes, and tuna chunks. Drizzle more dressing over salad and top with olives, capers, and parsley.
Enjoy!
