JULIA CHILD'S SALAD NICOISE

Julia Child's Salad Nicoise image

Categories Fish Salad Summer Dinner Chill

Number Of Ingredients 19

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard dry
1/2 - 2/3 cups olive oil best quality
1 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
1 teaspoon Fresh or dried herbs, such as basil
1 tablespoon shallot minced
2 - 3 tablespoons white wine or chicken stock and water each
2 ounce anchovy filets in oil
2 - 3 tablespoons capers
1 head Boston lettuce, washed, separated into leaves and chilled
4 tomatoes, quartered or cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 pound string beans, blanched and chilled (haricot vert)
2 - 3 eggs, hard boiled peeled, halved or quartered
1/2 - 2/3 cups black olives, preferably the small brine cured Mediterranean type (nicoise)
7 ounces tuna (1 can in oil)
3 tablespoons parsley, fresh and chopped

Steps:

Sauce vinaigrette: Puree the garlic through a press into a small mortar or bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mash vigorously with a pestle or wooden spoon to make a very smooth paste.
Sauce vinaigrette: Beat in a tablespoon each of the lemon juice and wine vinegar, and the dry mustard. (Strain if you wish, into another bowl or into a screw-topped jar.)
Sauce vinaigrette: Beat in gradually (or add in all at once and shake to blend) 1/2 cup olive oil- 5 to 6 parts of oil to one of vinegar and/ or lemon juice is about right, because too tart a dressing will spoil the taste of any wine you are serving.
Sauce vinaigrette: Beat in a grind or two of pepper, a big pinch of herbs, taste carefully, and correct seasoning, beating in more oil, salt, pepper, or herbs as necessary.
Potato salad: Scrub the potatoes. Place in a vegetable steamer, set over a pan of boiling water, and cover closely. Potatoes should steam until just tender when pierced with a knife.
Potato salad: Cut in half lengthwise, then into slices 3/8 inch thick.
Potato salad: Toss the warm potatoes gently in a large bowl with the minced shallot or scallion sprinkling on 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper.
Potato salad: Then toss with the wine or chicken stock and water. Let sit for about 5 minutes, tossing twice more, and allowing the potatoes to absorb as much liquid as they will.
Potato salad: Fold gently with 1/4 cup of the sauce vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Anchovies: Flavor with the sauce vinaigrette just before serving.
Capers: Pour out half of the vinegar and replace with white french vermouth and soak the capers in this.
Assembling the salad: Do this the moment before serving. Choose a deep round platter, or a wide bowl. Toss the lettuce with several spoonfuls of sauce vinaigrette, and arrange the leaves around the edge of the platter or bowl. Turn the potato salad into the middle. Arrange groups of tomatoes around the potatoes; sprinkle with salt and droplets of sauce vinaigrette. Toss the beans with a spoonful of dressing, plus a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste; arrange in groups between the tomatoes. Distribute eggs, yellow side up, at decorative intervals, and place anchovies and capers over them. Ring the potatoes with a line of black olives; break up the tuna fish and arrange it in the center of the potatoes or at intervals around their edge. Spoon a little of the sauce vinaigrette over the tuna, and dribble the rest over the potatoes. Decorate the tuna with parsley, and the salad is ready to serve.