New Year's Niçoise

Happy 2015! 

I had a chunk of time off for Christmas and New Year's, and used the time to think about nothing except eating and my cats. Some highlights: 

Then suddenly it was January 1, and I realized I had been eating chocolate fondant, roast beef, foie gras, ham, champagne and more ham for 8 straight days. It was time for a salad. 

Salads are deceptive. To make a good one requires a lot of thought. You'd think you could toss leaves with a basic dressing, but more often than not that turns out boring and sad. A good salad has crunch, the right amount of dressing and enough variety in its ingredients to make eat bite interesting. 

Enter the Niçoise. This is a meat lover's salad. Creamy soft boiled eggs, sharp anchovies and a variety of vegetables make it more exciting and filling than a regular ol' green salad. There's also a little bit of cooking involved (poaching tuna, boiling eggs), which makes it feel like a "real meal" and not a side dish. 

A note on salt: I have a salty palette, so I have added a lot of extra anchovies, olives and capers. If you don't share this trait, just dial back on those ingredients (same goes for garlic) - but always season to taste! 

SALAD NIÇOISE 

Feeds 4 

                   INGREDIENTS                     

For the tuna 

8 oz tuna 

1/2 onion 

1/2 lemon 

2 bay leaves 

S+P to taste 

For the dressing 

1 tsp fresh tarragon

1 tbsp red wine vinegar 

4 cloves garlic 

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

Zest of 1 lemon 

3 cherry tomatoes (or 1/4 regular tomato) 

1 scallion 

4 black olives, pitted 

5 anchovy filets 

2 tsp capers 

Freshly cracked black pepper

1/3-1/2 cup olive oil 

METHOD
Start by poaching the tuna. Place 6 cups water in a small pot, add the bay leaves, onion, lemon and salt and pepper, and bring the whole thing to a simmer. Add the tuna and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, until still a bit rare on the inside and cooked on the outside. Set aside and let it cool. 

For the 6-minute eggs: The 6-minute egg is one of the most delicious and satisfying ways to prepare and eat an egg. Bring water to a boil, drop the eggs in and set a timer for exactly 6 minutes. Halfway through, add the green beans. Then pull the eggs and beans out and put them all in cold water to stop them cooking. Peel the eggs and once cool chop them in half - look at that sunshine-y yolk. Y.U.M. 
       


                                    




Easiest dressing ever: put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor or blender. Let those go until they've formed a paste, then add in the olive oil slowly. Set aside until ready to serve. 















All that's left is assembly. Place the greens on the bottom of a platter. Arrange the other ingredients however you like, and flake - don't chop - the tuna. Pour the dressing on top right before serving (otherwise the whole situation is going to be soggy and sad instead of crisp and fresh). Since you're eating so many veggies, serve with a glass of wine and a brownie.