Salade Niçoise

Introduction & method

There are many variations on what goes into this class salad from Nice in the South of France, but basically you should always find green beans, black olives, tomatoes, and tuna or anchovies. This isn't an authentic recipe (I couldn't find one) and I've added a few things of my own. You can more or less include whatever you like, but I draw the line at potatoes.

Cook Things

The eggs and green beans need to be boiled before you can make the salad. Put the eggs in a pan with enough water to cover them, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 6 minutes. Top and tail the beans, cut them into 25mm (1 inch) lengths, simmer for 5 minutes. When the eggs and beans are done, plunge them into a bowl of iced water.

Assemble the Salad

Chop the anchovy fillets into 2-3 pieces and pop them in a bowl along with the olives (pitted), tomatoes chopped into cubes, cucumber deseeded and cubed and the basil leaves torn into small pieces. Stir well, then peel and quarter the eggs and arrange them like a star on top.

Make the Dressing

Finely chop the anchovies and make them into a paste by drawing the back of a chef's knife over them several times. Peel and mince the garlic. Chop the basil leaves as finely as you can. Add the anchovies, basil and garlic to a small screw-top jar along with the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Screw the lid on tight and shake vigorously.