Salad Niçoise

The recipe for salad Niçoise is an exquisite combination of some of the best ingredients from Provence. Sometimes green beans, broad beans, artichokes or potatoes are added. Damien says to use the highest-quality tinned tuna in oil as it’s full of moisture and flavour, and to toss the salad gently and caressingly.

• serves

  6

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 3–4 eggs
• 8 medium tomatoes, cut into 2 cm slices
• sea salt
• 1 garlic clove, bruised
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 green capsicums, finely sliced
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled if desired, finely sliced
• handful of lettuce leaves such as cos lettuce, torn (optional)
• 4 spring onions, white part only, finely sliced on the diagonal
• 120 g small black olives, rinsed 
• 250–300 g good-quality tinned tuna in oil, drained and flaked
• 10 good-quality anchovy fillets, cut lengthwise into 2 or 3 thin slivers each
• 12 basil leaves

Vinaigrette

• 120 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp tarragon vinegar or banyuls vinegar (or more to taste)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Draining time 15 minutes

Instructions

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Gently prick the rounded ends of the eggs with a pin (to help prevent cracking) and carefully add them to the boiling water to cook for 8–10 minutes. Refresh thoroughly under cold water, then peel and quarter the eggs.

 

Lay the tomato slices across a colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave to drain for 15–20 minutes, then gently pat the tomatoes dry with paper towel.

 

Mix the ingredients for the vinaigrette, adding the vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

 

Rub a large bowl with the bruised garlic clove and season the bowl lightly with salt and pepper. Add the tomato, capsicum, cucumber, lettuce (if using), spring onion, olives, tuna and anchovies. Gently tear the basil leaves on top. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently with your fingers to anoint the ingredients evenly with vinaigrette.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.