Dish Of The Week : Salad Nicoise .

This is a delicious and light classic French salad , normally done with tinned tuna but we're not having any of that here , this one is done with a seared fittet of fresh tuna with the salad tossed in a vinaigrette . Yummy !!!

For the vinaigrette ;

40ml white wine vinegar

2 cloves of lightly crushed garlic

Coarse sea salt & ground black pepper to taste 

100ml olive oil

Method :

1:Except for the oil , add all the above ingredients in a bowl & whisk vigorously then let stand for 2 mins 

2: Gently whisk in the oil , a little at a time . Taste and season if needed . 

Ingredients for the salad 

300g waxy potatoes

4 medium tomatoes

100g green bell peppers

Half a head boston lettuce , pulled into leaves washed & dried .

200g haircots verts or very thin string beans cut into 5inch pieces& cooked crisp tender . 

2 hard boiled eggs .

4 anchovy fillets

5g of chopped fresh parsley or chervil 

20 pitted nicose olives 

Method for the salad

1: Clean potatoes & boil on a high heat until cooked . Do not over cook , you want them firm so you can cut them later into slices . Set aside & allow to cool slightly .

2: Hard boil the eggs for 10 mins .

3: Peel and slice into 3mm slices  

4: Place the potatoe slices in a bowl and lightly toss in the vinaigrette

5: Cut the tomatoes into wedges and remove the seeds . Place them in a colander lightly salt and allow to drain for 5 mins

6: Using a peeler , peel the green pepper , remove the core & cut into 2x50ml strips  

7: Sear the tuna in a griddle pan . The tuna be cooked rare .

8: Meanwhile toss the lettuce in the vinaigrette .

9: In a seperate bowl toss the green beans , peppers & tomatoes in the vinaigrette  .

10: Place the tuna in the centre of the lettuce & arrange the potatoes  , tomatoes , green beans ,  peppers & hard boiled eggs around the tuna  .Criss cross the anchovys over the tuna . Sprinkle with fresh herbs & place the olives around the edge . 

Serve immediately .

Happy Days .......   

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