the ultimate salad niçoise

a true meal in itself. the following recipe is our version of the classic style of southern france, but topped with seared, fresh, sashimi-grade tuna. serves 4.

ingredients for vinaigrette:

• 1 minced clove of garlic
• 1/2 t dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 t red wine vinegar
• 1/4 lemon, juiced
• 1 t chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 t minced fresh tarragon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

ingredients for salad:

• 1 lb. fresh tuna: yellowfin, bigeye or albacore
• fresh baby greens, boston lettuce or romaine to line the platter
• 3/4 lb. small new or fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half
• 4 eggs, boiled, cut into quarters
• 1/2 lb. green beans, stems removed
• 1 t extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup niçoise olives
• 8 anchovy fillets, we use ortiz brand, so good you might want to add a few more!
• 1/4 cup capers

whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together until emulsified then set aside for the flavors to meld.

bring potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water, cook until fork tender. you can either steam the beans above the boiling water for about 5 minutes, or simply add them to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. you want the beans to remain crisp. drain everything in a colander under cold water.

lightly coat the bottom of a heavy-bottom skillet or cast iron pan with 1 t olive oil and place on high heat. season tuna with salt & pepper. when the pan is hot, sear the tuna for 2 minutes per side, the middle should be rare. remove from pan and place on a cutting board while you compose the platter.

composing the platter
line the platter with greens. use a bowl to coat the individual ingredients (potaotes, beans, capers, tomatoes, olives and anchovies) in vinaigrette before arranging the separate ingredients like a dial around the platter. (we actually mixed all the ingredients together, but the classic version keeps things in separate piles so guests can choose how much of each ingredient to add to their plate.) arrange eggs on the platter then slice the seared tuna and arrange attractively in the center of the dish. drizzle the platter with remaining vinaigrette.