Salade Niçoise

Serves 6 as a light main course.

VINAIGRETTE

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium-large shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and ground black pepper

SALAD

• 4 large eggs, hardboiled, peeled, and cut into quarters lengthwise
• 10 small red potatoes (about 2 inches in diameter), scrubbed and quartered
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 medium heads Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves washed, dried, and torn into bite-sized pieces (about 8 cups loosely packed)
• 12 ounces olive oil–packed tuna, drained
• 3 small tomatoes, each cored and cut into eighths
• 1 small red onion, sliced very thin
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 1/4 cup Niçoise olives
• 10-12 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

Whisk together all the ingredients; season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

FOR THE SALAD

Bring potatoes and 4 quarts cold water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and cook until potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. With slotted spoon, gently transfer potatoes to medium bowl (save boiling water). Toss warm potatoes with 1/4 cup vinaigrette and set aside.

While potatoes cook, toss lettuce with 1/4 cup vinaigrette in large bowl. Arrange bed of lettuce on large serving platter. Place tuna in now-empty bowl and break up with fork. Add 1/2 cup vinaigrette and stir to combine; mound tuna in center of lettuce bed.

Toss tomatoes, onion, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in now-empty bowl; arrange tomato–onion mixture in mound at edge of lettuce bed. Arrange reserved potatoes in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.

Return water to boil; add 1 tablespoon salt and green beans. Cook until tender but crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain beans, rinse with cold water, and let stand until just cool. Dry beans well on paper towels. Toss beans, 3 tablespoons vinaigrette, and salt and pepper to taste in now-empty bowl; arrange in separate mound at edge of lettuce bed.

Arrange eggs, olives, and anchovies in separate mounds at edge of lettuce bed. Drizzle eggs with remaining 2 tablespoons dressing, sprinkle entire salad with capers, and serve immediately.

Source: Adam Ried and Kay Rentschler, “Building a Better Salada Niçoise,” Cook’s Illustrated, July/August 2002.