Salad Niçoise is the most famous and controversial French salad. Some recipes call for cooked potato, other for just raw vegetables.
Immerse the eggs in simmering (generously) salted water for 12 minutes. Next, refresh and peel. Clean and dry the butter lettuce. Core and cut tomatoes in quarters. Stalk the green beans, for 3 to 5 minutes, and refresh in cold water to keep them crunchy. Peel and seed the cucumber. Cut into 1/8 inch (¼ centimeter) thick slices. Remove seeds from red and green peppers, and slice them. Peel and slice the onion. Chop the parsley finely. Cut off the top and the bottom of the radishes and slice them.
in this order: The vinegar, salt, and fresh ground pepper, gradually add the olive oil. Put the vegetables into a bowl and toss together. Add parsley, chopped basil, and dressing. Drain anchovies and add half to the salad; toss. Arrange the butter lettuce on a large plate. Garnish with the tossed salad, and add the eggs, the remaining anchovies, and the olives.
Cook the tuna:
the tuna with salt and pepper. Brush the tuna steaks with olive oil. Grill on high heat on the barbecue for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Serve immediately on top of the salad.
This recipe connects to Knife Skills & Vegetable Cuts — learn the technique step by step in the video lessons.
Tuna is best seared hot and fast, leaving the center rare — overcooking dries it out quickly. If you'd like to go deeper, Knife Skills & Vegetable Cuts covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
