Ilaria’s Tanked-up Niçoise
Once the festive season has passed in our part of the world, it’s time to get things back on a healthier track. Hello salad! But I’m talking tanked-up salad with all the trimmings. Chargrilled pepper adds a sweet summery touch, while the addition of croûtons is genius. Fried, salted morsels of crispy fresh bread is an absolute winner! This salad’s all about crisp, textured freshness so once you’ve tossed everything together, get stuck in and serve immediately. Happy days.
CROÛTONS:
2 red capsicums
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
100 grams sugar snaps or a bunch (250 grams) asparagus
salt 8–10 black olives, pitted 2 tablespoons lemon juice flaky sea salt
4 big iceberg lettuce leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste
100 grams baby salad mix, or salad leaves of your choice
100 grams canned tuna, drained, or 270 grams fresh tuna, thinly sliced
1 perfectly ripe avocado, sliced and cut into small chunks
CROÛTONS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium slices of fresh sourdough or grainy bread to yield about 1½ cups croûtons
flaky sea salt
We want to char-grill these peppers so they’re delightfully blackened! Once they’ve cooled, remove skin, core and seeds, and slice into thin strips of tasty goodness. Remember to conserve any juices.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil over a medium-low heat in a medium-sized frying pan (skillet). Slice the bread into chunky 2cm cubes and add to the pan with a generous sprinkle of salt. Fry the bread until crispy then tip onto a plate lined with paper towels and set aside for later. These crunchy morsels are addictive so while it’s best not to even start snacking on them if you want to keep them for the meal, I also highly advise it. In the same pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over a low heat. Add lemon zest, garlic and chilli and sizzle for 20 seconds. You want to infuse the oil rather than fry the ingredients so keep a watchful eye on it as the garlic can burn pretty quickly. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Chop off any stringy ends on the sugar snaps. Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil and plunge sugar snaps into the bubbling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and refresh with cold running water until cool. This stops them cooking further and turning into lifeless floppy blobs and locks in their green colour. Drain again and dry on paper towels. If you are using asparagus, trim the ends and cut into short lengths. Cook as above, allowing 3–4 minutes. Drain and refresh as described.
Add olives to the large bowl along with the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of flaky salt (or to taste – depends on the saltiness of the olives), and freshly ground pepper. Mix to combine. Wash and dry iceberg leaves and break into small pieces. Add them, the baby salad mix, canned tuna if using, avocado, sugar snaps or asparagus, and sliced peppers and any juices to the large bowl and toss together. Check seasoning, place fresh tuna on top, if using, and serve with croûtons on the side. Feast immediately!
SERVES 4