Salade Nicoise A Ma Facon

Total Time: 50 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 3 red ripe large tomatoes, deseeded and cut into eighths
• 8 ounces mixed baby lettuce leaves (make sure there's arugula in the mix)
• 1 lb new potato, cooked and sliced
• 6 ounces french haricots vert, cooked until crisp-tender
• 4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tuna in olive oil, well drained
• 3 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
• sea salt
• 2 ounces anchovy fillets
• 1/2 cup black olive tapenade
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

Recipe

• 1 for the vinaigrette: in a little processor, zap all the vinaigrette ingredients - except for the fresh herbs - until the vinaigrette is thick and emulsified. stir in all the minced, fresh herbs to combine. taste dressing - it should be salty enough due to the olives, but adjust seasoning if it isn't. refrigerate until ready to use. just before you dress the salad, whisk everything well.
• 2 for the salad: in a large, shallow salad bowl, arrange baby lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes, haricots verts and chopped shallots in layers, sprinkling with the tiniest bit of sea salt and a little of the dressing over as you go. next arrange chunks of tuna and egg quarters on top. then arrange the anchovies in a criss-cross pattern and a final sprinkling of dressing.
• 3 serve the salad immediately with a warm, crusty baguette and lots of good butter to go with it. pretend you're on a verandah overlooking the cote d'azur.