Modern Salad Niçoise

Ingredients

• 1.500 gram fresh tuna, placed in a dish that fits snugly; covered with olive oil; baked at 150°C 20–30 min; cooled in oil; sliced into chunks
• 2.olive oil, to cover tuna for baking
• 3.mixed lettuce, as bed for salad
• 4.500 gram new potatoes, baby; boiled, peeled and sliced
• 5.cherry tomatoes, halved or whole
• 6.125 millilitre black olives, pitted
• 7.3 eggs, hard-boiled; sliced
• 8.anchovies, tinned; optional
• 9.350 gram green beans, blanched and sliced
• 10.90 millilitre olive oil, for dressing
• 11.30 millilitre wine vinegar, for dressing
• 12.salt and pepper, for dressing
• 13.5 millilitre French mustard, for dressing
• 14.30 millilitre fresh herbs, chopped; for dressing

Method

1. 1.Place tuna in a dish that fits snugly. Cover with olive oil and cook in the oven at 150°C for 20–30 minutes, until just done. Cool in the oil, drain and slice into chunks.
2. 2.Layer lettuce, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, olives, eggs, anchovies, beans and tuna in a dish.
3. 3.Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously. Pour over the salad and serve.

Notes

• Card headline: 'If you never liked traditional Salad Niçoise with tinned tuna, try this with fabulous fresh ingredients and you will soon change your mind.'
• From the 'Plates' South African cookbook — 'large plates' section (photocopied page inserted into family collection).
• The tuna is oil-poached in the oven rather than seared — yields very tender, moist flesh.