French Salade Niçoise

French Salade Niçoise is a culinary masterpiece that captures the essence of the Mediterranean in a vibrant and refreshing salad. Originating from the coastal city of Nice, this salad is a delightful combination of fresh ingredients and robust flavors. It features a colorful array of ingredients such as tender boiled potatoes, crisp green beans, ripe tomatoes, briny olives, hard-boiled eggs, and flaky tuna or anchovies. All these ingredients are artfully arranged on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves and drizzled with a tangy vinaigrette dressing infused with herbs like basil or tarragon. The result is a harmonious blend of textures and flavors that dance on your palate with each forkful. Indulge in this refreshing and wholesome dish and let it transport you to the charming cafes and azure waters of Nice.

Ingredients:

• 4 tuna steaks
• 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
• 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 115g extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained
• 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 boiled eggs, halved
• 6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips
• 16 pitted black olives in brine
• 8 basil leaves, ripped
• 105ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

1. To make the dressing or marinade whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate. Toss in the marinade from time to time.
3. Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob or a hot barbecue for 5 minutes. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.
4. Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves.