TUNA NIÇOISE WITH GREEN BEANS, POTATOES AND SUNDRIED TOMATOES

This is one of our go-to recipes as we normally have most of the ingredients in the cupboard and beans in the fridge. We prefer the result from the tinned, sustainably caught tuna in water or the wonderful fillets of tuna in olive oil available from Italian delis. Fresh tuna just can’t compete with the robust flavours of anchovy, sundried tomato and olives. Do choose your olives carefully – our favourite are the purplish-brown Kalamata olives that you pit yourself by bashing them with the flat side of a cook’s knife. You can also use quail’s eggs rather than hen’s eggs. Or add bitesize pieces of avocado or leaves such as shredded Romaine lettuce, watercress, rocket or baby spinach. Serves 4–6 300g new potatoes 250g long green beans 4–6 eggs 3 spring onions or 1 small red onion, finely sliced 160g tinned tuna, flaked 1 large celery stick, finely chopped 40g sundried tomatoes in oil (drained weight), roughly chopped 12 good-quality olives, pitted and halved 1tbsp capers, drained and rinsed 50g can anchovy fillets in oil, drained 1 quantity of classic vinaigrette dressing 1Cook the potatoes whole with skins on in plenty of boiling salted water in a large pan until tender. Drain and leave to cool. Cook the beans in another medium pan of boiling salted water until tender. We boil our beans for about 15–20 minutes, Italian-style, so they are soft and sweet, but do leave them crunchy if you prefer. Drain and leave to cool. 2Boil

the eggs and as soon as they are hard (eight minutes will do it) crack the shells and drop them into cold running water to stop the bluish colour appearing around the yolk. Peel and set aside. 3When

the potatoes are cool, cut in half and put in a large bowl. Soak the onion in water for 10 minutes to remove the strength, drain and add to the bowl. Cut the beans in half and add to the bowl with all the other ingredients, bar the eggs. 4Toss

the dressing with the salad. Halve the eggs and add to the bowl to serve.