Nicoise Vinaigrette Recipes

NICOISE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender; finely chop. With blender running, slowly add oil until completely incorporated.

SALADE NICOISE WITH VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Steps:

• Mix dressing together by mixing all ingredients in jar.
• Shake again, just before serving.
• Mix potatoes and mayonnaise to coat thoroughly.
• Toss tomatoes lightly in a small amount of vinaigrette.
• In a separate bowl, toss green beans in a small amount of vinaigrette, let marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
• When ready to serve, toss lettuce lightly in a small amount of vinaigrette until leaves are barely coated.
• Place around the edge and bottom on the bowl, using all the leaves.
• Place tuna in the center of the bowl.
• Arrange tomatoes, green beans, potatoes around the outside in an interesting pattern.
• Decorate with olives, onion slices, green pepper rounds, celery and eggs.
• Garnish with herbs and anchovies.
• Serve immediately with additional vinaigrette dressing.

ROUND 2 RECIPE - NICOISE SALAD WITH LEMON GARLIC VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, garlic, oil, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Put the snow peas in boiling water for 2 minutes, and then shock them in cold water to stop them from overcooking.
• In a large bowl, put the lettuce, onions, and snow peas and toss with the vinaigrette. Top with the almonds, capers, tuna, and sliced eggs. Serve immediately.

NIçOISE SALAD WITH BASIL AND ANCHOVY-LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Make the vinaigrette: Using the flat side of a knife, smash garlic clove, anchovy fillets and salt into a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest and mustard. Using a whisk, slowly pour in olive oil while stirring constantly. Adjust seasoning as needed.
• Place potatoes in a medium pot and cover them with 2 or 3 inches of cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When water comes to a boil, continue cooking potatoes until fork tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. Add haricots verts during the last 1 minute of cooking (if using regular green beans, add them during the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking depending on how thin they are). Drain vegetables and let sit until cool enough to handle but still quite warm. Halve potatoes, transfer to a small bowl along with the haricots verts and dress everything to coat with some (but not all) of the vinaigrette. When completely cool, toss in chopped basil.
• On a large platter or four individual plates, arrange potatoes and haricots verts, radishes or cucumbers, tomatoes and tuna, and hard-boiled eggs, if using. Scatter olives over the top and drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve garnished with freshly ground black pepper, flaky sea salt and torn basil leaves.

GOURMET SEARED TUNA NICOISE WITH HONEY AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F Lightly oil the potatoes and place in a baking tray, bake for 40 mins or until crisp and tender. If you're short on time, simply boil them for 15 mins instead. Once the potatoes are cooked, cut them in half.
• Whilst the potatoes are cooking, blanch the beans in boiling water for 3 mins then drain and rinse in cold water.
• Place the eggs in a small pan, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 6 minutes Remove from the heat, drain, then rinse in cold water. Tap the shells all over and remove. Cut each egg in half and halve them again.Whisk all the dressing ingredients together and season to taste.
• Heat a large non-stick frying or griddle pan until hot. Brush the tuna with a little oil then add to the pan and sear for 2-3 mins on each side, depending on how pink you like your tuna. Set aside to rest.
• Empty the salad leaves into a large bowl and add the scallions, olives, cooled green beans and half of the dressing.
• Divide the mixture between four plates, scatter over the halved potatoes, quartered eggs and finally lay the tuna on top.
• To finish, drizzle a little of the remaining dressing over the tuna steaks and serve.

SALAD NICOISE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, parsley, olives, onion, tuna and green beans. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
• In large bowl, toss greens with vinaigrette and top with chilled potato mixture. Garnish with eggs, tomatoes, capers and anchovies.

SALADE NIçOISE WITH YOGURT VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Using a fork or a small whisk, mix together the vinegar and lemon juice with the garlic, salt, pepper and Dijon mustard. Whisk in the olive oil and yogurt.
• Steam the potatoes above 1 inch simmering water for 10 to 15 minutes, until tender. Transfer to a large salad bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the tuna and toss with 1/4 cup of the dressing while the potatoes are hot.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, and fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add a generous amount of salt and add the green beans. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Transfer to the ice water, then drain. Dry on paper towels. Add to the salad bowl, along with the red or green pepper, cucumber, hard-boiled eggs, lettuce and herbs. Garnish with the tomatoes, anchovies and olives, and serve.

BASIC FRENCH VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; let the mixture stand 10 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, then add the oil in a very slow, thin, steady stream, whisking constantly until the dressing is emulsified. Season with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. DO AHEAD: The vinaigrette can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 1 week.

SAUTEED SWORDFISH WITH NIçOISE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a skillet, preferably non-stick, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it sauté the swordfish steaks, patted dry, for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until they are just cooked through. While the fish is cooking, in a small bowl stir together the olives, the roasted red pepper, the parsley, the capers, the anchovy, the garlic paste, the scallion, the vinegar, the remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the swordfish to plates, spoon the sauce over it, and serve it with lemon wedges.

SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• Potatoes: Fill a small saucepan with water. Add potatoes, thyme sprig, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Haricots vert: Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, add a big pinch of salt, followed by haricots verts. Cook until tender with a slight snap, 4-9 minutes depending on size. Eggs: Fill a small saucepan with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, use a spoon to gently ease eggs into the water. Cook exactly 7½ minutes. Meanwhile, prepare two ice baths: Fill two large bowls with water and plenty of ice.
• Scallions: Trim away the very end of the root while keeping scallion intact; remove the thick outer layer. Cut away the dark green top, leaving a 3-inch length of white and light-green scallion. Make several 1-inch vertical cuts down the top to create a scallion "brush." Repeat with all the scallions and place them in an ice bath to preserve freshness. Radishes: Slice each radish lengthwise into thin slices. Set aside.
• When beans are mostly tender with a touch of firmness, use a strainer to transfer them to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove eggs and place them into the same ice bath. Check potatoes for doneness by piercing one with a knife; there should be no resistance. Remove potatoes and set aside; discard thyme and bay leaf. Peel eggs, slice in half lengthwise, and set aside.
• Assembly: On a serving platter, layer the Boston lettuce, followed by the baby gem. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and distribute evenly, followed by haricots verts, scallions, whole tomatoes, radish, large chunks of tuna, and eggs. Garnish with leaves of basil and chervil.
• Pit olives (optional): Place olives on a flat surface. Press the bottom of a small bowl on the olives to loosen their pits; remove and discard the pits. Scatter the pitted olives over the salad. Next, tuck small bunches of arugula within the lettuce. Finally, finish assembling the salad by laying about 10 anchovies evenly across the top.
• Chef Boulud offers two options for dressing the salad. Lemon & Oil Dressing: Zest lemon evenly over the salad, then sprinkle with lemon juice. Drizzle with olive oil, and finish with pepper and salt. (Note: Use salt with moderation, since the tuna and anchovies are already salted.) Grand-Mère's Vinaigrette: In a bowl, add the sliced garlic and a pinch of salt. Use a fork to mash the garlic into a coarse paste. Add mustard, vinegar, and pepper; stir to combine. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly with the fork to emulsify. Add a teaspoon of water at a time, whisking between additions, to thin vinaigrette as desired. Place vinaigrette into a serving dish and serve alongside the salad.