Bringing the flavours of the South of France to your table with a fresh and vibrant twist on a classic favourite—Salad Niçoise. But here’s the fun part: it’s deconstructed! 🌿🥔🍅🥗🍋🐟
This means all the delicious ingredients are beautifully arranged separately, so you can mix and match to your heart's content. Perfect for entertaining or a fun family meal, this spread is as visually stunning as it is delicious.
RECIPE
Yield: Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Deconstructed Nicoise Salad:
½ lb French green beans, blanched
1 lb miniature white or red potatoes, boiled and cooled
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
1 lb ahi tuna, seared rare and cubed
1 bunch (6-8) carrots, peeled, stems trimmed to 1”
3 heads baby romaine lettuce, cut in quarters with the core intact
1 bunch red radishes, stems trimmed to 1” and halved
1 cup Kalamata olives
For the lemon vinaigrette:
⅓ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
⅔ cup extra virgin oil
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
For the classic aioli:
3 large egg yolks
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup canola oil
2 tsp ice water
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Method:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water to create an ice bath.
Once the water is boiling, add the french beans and cook for 1-2 minutes, until they turn a vibrant green colour. Once they become vibrant, remove from the boiling water and transfer them to you ice bath to cool and prevent further cooking.
Bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the potatoes. Boil until cooked through, but still slightly firm, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Bring the pot of water back to a boil and finally add the eggs. Cook for 10 minutes until hard boiled and set aside to cool. Once cooled, cut them in half.
Next, heat a medium skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Pat dry the tuna and gently lay into the hot pan. Cook for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into cubes. Set aside to cool
Next, prepare the carrots. Wash them, then peel them and trim the stems to 1”.
Quarter the head of romaine lettuce, ensuring the core stays intact. Drizzle them with the lemon vinaigrette (recipe below)
Wash the radishes well, trim the stems and cut them in half.
Arrange the french beans, potatoes, halved eggs, ahi tuna, carrots, dressed romaine and radishes and kalamata olives on a large platter. Serve alongside classic aioli.
Lemon Vinaigrette:
Add the fresh squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil to a small bowl. Whisk vigorously until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Classic Aioli:
In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, garlic, fresh squeezed lemon juice, Dijon and minced garlic until fully combined.
Slowly pour in the canola oil in a continuous stream while continuously whisking the aioli.
Add water and whisk until fully combined.
Add the olive oil in a slow continuous stream while still whisking.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate immediately until ready to use.
