Purple potatoes and salmon will put a colourful spin on your Salade Niçoise
Makes: 6 servings Preparation time: about 40 minutes (if salmon and eggs are already cooked) 8 oz. (226 g) small purple potatoes (about 8) Kosher salt 4 oz. (114 g) haricots verts, trimmed (a generous handful) 3 tbsp. (45 mL) grapeseed or other high-heat tolerant oil ¼ cup (60 mL) drained capers For dressing: 4 anchovy filets packed in oil 1 tbsp. (15 mL) Dijon mustard ½ tsp (2.5 mL) sugar 1 lemon ½ medium shallot, finely chopped 3 tbsp. (45 mL) olive oil For salad: 4 cups (1 L) frisée, washed, spun dry and trimmed 6 hard-cooked eggs, sliced in half ¾ to 1 lb (340 to 454 g) cooked salmon filet, broken into chunks ¼ cup (60 mL) niçoise olives
1. To prepare potatoes: Place unpeeled potatoes in a medium saucepan and add cold water to cover by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Bring them to a boil, season with salt, and cook until fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a plate to cool. When cool enough to handle, slide off peels and slice in half (if small) or quarters (if larger).
2. To prepare beans: Place beans in a medium saucepan with a generous amount of water to cover. Bring to a boil, add salt to taste, and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to a bowl of ice water. Chill until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and pat dry.
3. To prepare capers: In a small skillet, heat grapeseed or other oil over medium-high. Add capers and cook, swirling pan occasionally, until capers burst and are crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer capers to paper towels to drain. Let oil cool; set aside.
4. To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mash anchovies with mustard and sugar to form a coarse paste. Remove peel and white pith from lemon. Working over bowl, cut between membranes of lemon to release segments. Squeeze remaining juice from membranes into bowl; discard membranes (and any seeds). Whisk in shallot, then slowly whisk in oil from cooking capers and olive oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To assemble salad: Season frisée with salt and pepper and toss with half the dressing, then arrange on a large platter. Top with separate piles of potatoes, haricots verts, hard-cooked eggs, salmon and olives. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing and sprinkle with fried capers. Salade Niçoise — which just means a salad as prepared in Nice, on the French Riviera — is always an elegant and delicious idea for an August meal. This one, though, is in technicolour.
Instead of the usual red potatoes, a recent recipe from Bon Appétit turns it up a notch with purple potatoes, which look all the more vivid when placed next to bright green blanched beans and coral-coloured salmon used in place of the usual tuna.
The Bon Appétit recipe has you roast the salmon in the oven, but I made it with lemon pepperrubbed, cedar-planked salmon (the recipe featured in my column last week). Not only did it keep the heat out of the kitchen, it added even more bright flavour to the vibrant salty-savoury platter.
The salad is sprinkled with crunchy, salty fried capers and the dressing includes segments of fresh lemon.
Add a dry rosé and a French baguette and you’re all set.