Salade Niçoise

MATT RUSSELL

Serves
Serves 4
Total Time
20 Minutes
Ingredients
½ garlic clove, peeled, for rubbing
2 small artichokes, outer leaves removed, dark green bits peeled, choke removed
1 small, firm cucumber
12 radishes
1 white or red salad onion, as mild and sweet as possible
250g of ripe tomatoes (the most delicious you can find, I like to use bull’s heart)
2 tbsp of olive oil
1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
150g of good-quality tuna in olive oil or 8 salted anchovy fillets
A small handful of black olives (dark black Provencal for preference), pitted
1⁄2 bunch of basil, leaves picked
2 eggs, hard-boiled for 7 minutes and shelled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Step 1

Rub the inside of a serving bowl with the cut garlic. Prepare the artichokes and slice them thinly lengthways. Cut the cucumber and radishes into slices, but not too thin this time.

Step 2

Peel and slice the onion as thinly as possible. Cut the tomatoes into chunks, wedges or quarters depending on their size. Do not to slice them too thinly or the salad may become wet as the juices seep out.

Step 3

Combine the vegetables in the serving bowl. Add the olive oil and red wine vinegar, then season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Mix in the tuna or anchovies, olives and basil. Taste again. Cut the hard-boiled eggs into halves or quarters, season lightly with salt and pepper, then arrange on top of the salad. Finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, if you feel the salad needs it.

Recipe courtesy of Sardine: Simple seasonal Provençal cooking by Alex Jackson, published by Pavilion Books.

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