Nicoise Salad Baguette Recipes

SALAD NICOISE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, parsley, olives, onion, tuna and green beans. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
• In large bowl, toss greens with vinaigrette and top with chilled potato mixture. Garnish with eggs, tomatoes, capers and anchovies.

CLASSIC NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; drizzle with the wine and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
• Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.
• Place the eggs in the reserved saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water.
• Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
• Toss the tomatoes ian a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/4 cup dressing to the potatoes and toss. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.
• Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, hard-cooked eggs and tuna on top. Pour any juices from the tomatoes into the dressing, then add the tomatoes to the plates. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the olives.

NIçOISE STUFFED BAGUETTE

Steps:

• Bring a small pan of water to the boil. Add the eggs and boil for 10 mins. Drain, then run the eggs under the cold tap to cool quickly. Carefully shell and cut the eggs into wedge-shaped quarters. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the shallot vinaigrette with seasoning and stir in the oil from the tuna.
• Slice the loaf in half lengthways, but not all the way through, so it opens up like a book. Use your fingers to pull out any bread that easily comes away from the top half to hollow the loaf a little.
• On the bottom half of the loaf, drizzle over the vinaigrette. Stir the mayonnaise into the tuna and spread on top. Now layer in the tomatoes, basil, olives, eggs and anchovies.
• Tightly roll up in baking parchment and secure down the length with elastic bands or string. Press really well all the way down the loaf, then chill overnight. Cut into slices if feeding a crowd, or into 4 lengths.

NICOISE SALAD BAGUETTE

Steps:

• Split the baguette open and partially hollow out the center using your hands. Spread the olive tapenade on both halves of the baguette. Slice the egg into rounds. Slice the green beans on the bias into small pieces. Place the arugula on the bottom half of the baguette, then layer the tuna, tomato, egg, green beans and parsley. Top with the top half of the baguette.
• Make up to 2 days ahead of serving.

SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• To make the dressing, mash the garlic and anchovy, if using, with a small pinch of salt on a board using the blade of a large knife, or in a pestle and mortar. Combine the paste with the mustard and vinegar, then slowly stir in the tuna oil. Set aside.
• Tip the new potatoes into a large pan of cold salted water, ensuring they're well covered. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the beans and cook for 5 mins, then remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of iced water to cool. Cook the potatoes for another 5 mins until tender, then drain and leave to cool. When cool enough to handle, halve or quarter them, and toss in a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the dressing. Leave to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, cook the eggs in a second pan of simmering water for 7½ mins, then transfer to a bowl of iced water to cool. Drain the beans and eggs, then peel and halve the eggs.
• Tip the lettuce quarters, cooked beans and olives into the bowl with the potatoes. Add most of the remaining dressing and gently toss. Divide the salad between two bowls, and top with the tomatoes and eggs. Flake over the tuna, then drizzle with the rest of the dressing and season.

3 CLASSIC FRENCH BAGUETTE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open.
• Slather both sides with the butter. Layer with the ham and cheese. Close, press, and divide into two or three sandwiches.
• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open. Drizzle the top and bottom baguette halves with olive oil.
• Slice the tomato slices in half, so they are in half moons. Slice the goat cheese into thin rounds, then slice them in half into half moons.
• If using, layer arugula, then ham onto the bottom of the sandwich. Then add alternating slices of tomato and goat cheese along the length of the sandwich.
• Sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Close the baguette, press, and divide into halves or thirds.
• Make the Vinaigrette: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the parsley, vinegar, Dijon, salt, pepper, anchovies, shallot, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Whisk until emulsified.
• Slice the baguette in half lengthwise, almost all the way through, and open. Drizzle the top and bottom baguette halves with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
• To the vinaigrette, add the tuna, bell pepper, haricots verts, and arugula. Stir to mix well. The tuna will break apart somewhat.
• Spread the tuna mixture along the bottom half of the baguette. Layer the sliced hard-boiled egg and olives atop the tuna mixture.
• Sprinkle with herbes de Provence. Close the baguette, press hard, and let rest for 2 to 24 hours, preferably weighted down. Tip: Suggestions for weighing down the pan bagnat: the bottom of a cast-iron skillet, or sheet pan with heavy cookbooks on it. Slice into halves or thirds, and serve. Note: If the sandwich will rest for more than two hours, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Before serving, allow to return to near room temperature.

NICOISE SALAD SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until bright green and tender, 3 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool water, and chop. In a medium bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, shallot, and olive oil. Drain tuna, then break into chunks and add to vinaigrette, along with green beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. In a food processor, pulse together tomatoes, olives, and parsley. Split baguette lengthwise and scoop out most of the insides. Arrange a few lettuce leaves on bottom half; top with tuna mixture and eggs. Spread tomato-olive mixture on top half of baguette and place on sandwich. To serve, cut crosswise into 4 pieces.