Salade Niçoise With Spring Vegetables Recipes

Steps:

• For vinaigrette, whisk together the first 8 ingredients. In another bowl, toss kidney beans and onion with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette. Set aside bean mixture and remaining vinaigrette., Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain. While potatoes are warm, toss with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette; set aside., In a pot of boiling water, cook asparagus just until crisp-tender, 2-4 minutes. Remove with tongs and immediately drop into ice water. Drain and pat dry. In same pot of boiling water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove beans; place in ice water. Drain and pat dry., To serve, toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette; toss green beans with 2 teaspoons vinaigrette. Toss romaine with remaining vinaigrette; place on a platter. Arrange vegetables, kidney bean mixture, eggs, artichoke hearts and olives over top.

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.

Steps:

• Prepare a medium-hot fire (450°F) in a wood-fired grill, or plan to use a grill pan.
• To make the dressing, whisk the vinegar, shallots, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste together in a small bowl until well combined. Gradually whisk in the oil until the mixture is emulsified. Whisk in the thyme, tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• Cook the beans in a large pot of salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Remove when cooled, then drain and pat dry and set aside. Cook the carrots by the same method. Add the potatoes to salted boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until tender (15 to 20 minutes) and drain into colander. Halve the potatoes while still warm and toss with a small amount of the dressing to coat. Set aside to cool.
• Heat a grill pan, if using, over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-high. Coat the grill grids with oil or oil the grill pan. Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil and lightly season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill uncovered, turning once, for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove from the heat and let rest for 3 minutes. Break into large pieces, about 3 inches or so.
• Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with about 2 tablespoons of the dressing and salt and pepper to taste. In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the dressing and salt lightly. Toss the beans with a small amount of salad dressing to coat just before serving.
• Arrange the beans, potatoes, tuna, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and egg wedges in sections on a platter. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve. Drizzle each serving with dressing and sprinkle capers on the tuna.

Steps:

• To make the dressing, mash the garlic and anchovy, if using, with a small pinch of salt on a board using the blade of a large knife, or in a pestle and mortar. Combine the paste with the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stir in the tuna oil. Set aside.
• Tip the new potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water, ensuring they're well covered. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the beans and cook for 5 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Cook the potatoes for another 5 mins until tender, then drain and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, and toss in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the dressing. Leave to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a second pan of simmering water for 7½ mins, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain the beans and eggs, then peel and halve the eggs.
• Tip the lettuce quarters, cooked beans and olives into the bowl with the potatoes. Add most of the remaining dressing and gently toss. Divide the salad between two bowls, and top with the tomatoes and eggs. Flake over the tuna, then drizzle with the rest of the dressing and season.