Building a Better Salade Nicoise

Published July 1, 2002.

Seasoning each component individually is the key to a bright, full-flavored salad.

The Problem

Most of the Niçoise salads we've encountered in this country are bland and lifeless--little more than a bed of lettuce in which a sea of dull dressing drowns lazily strewn piles of overcooked, underseasoned green beans and potatoes, unripe tomatoes, rubbery eggs, and soggy tuna.

The Goal

A salad that tasted as fresh and flavorful as it looked, with well-dressed and well-seasoned components that complement rather than crowd each other.

The Solution

Pair fruity extra-virgin olive oil and lemon juice to create the base of the vinaigrette, then add fresh thyme, basil, oregano, shallot, and Dijon mustard to deepen the flavor. Use only the finest ingredients--oil-packed tuna, vine-ripened tomatoes, butterhead lettuce, fresh green beans, freshly boiled eggs, and Red Bliss potatoes--and season and dress each component of the salad individually. Top the composed salad with piquant capers, Nicoise olives, and anchovy fillets.

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