French Niçoise salad — the classic Mediterranean salad with tuna, eggs, olives and potatoes

Niçoise salad is one of the most famous salads of French cuisine, born in the city of Nice on the Mediterranean coast. The combination of tuna, boiled eggs, black olives, potatoes and fresh vegetables makes it a complete, fresh and very nourishing dish — ideal for light summer lunches or as an elegant appetiser.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 400 g fresh tuna fillet (or 2 cans of tuna in olive oil, well drained)
• 4 eggs
• 500 g small potatoes
• 200 g green beans
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 100 g black olives
• 8 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 1 small red onion
• Lettuce leaves or rocket
• 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Boil the eggs in boiling water for about 9 minutes, then cool them in iced water, peel them and cut them into quarters.

Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15–20 minutes, until tender. Drain them, let them cool and cut them in half.

Clean the green beans and boil them for 4–5 minutes (they should stay slightly crisp), then cool them immediately in iced water to keep their green colour.

Brush the tuna fillet with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and sear it in a very hot pan for 2–3 minutes on each side (the inside should stay slightly pink); cut it into thick slices. If using canned tuna, simply drain it well.

Cut the tomatoes into slices and the red onion into thin rings.

For the vinaigrette, mix the olive oil, vinegar (or lemon), Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

On a large plate, lay out the lettuce leaves, then arrange the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, eggs, tuna slices, olives, anchovies and onion nicely on top.

Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Preparation time: about 25 minutes. Cooking time: about 25 minutes. Serves 4.