The Four
Simple Salad Niçoise, Tweezer Tongs, Îles Flottantes, Quince Denim Chore Jacket
Hi everyone,
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Four. We’re full on barreling into springtime, and the fine weather has made me think about big salads. With more produce coming onto the markets, main dish salads are a delicious and healthy way to get dinner done. To that end, I have an easy salad Niçoise recipe for you. Well, it’s less of a recipe, more of an assemblage. At #2, I’m sharing one of my favorite kitchen tools that I use everyday. They’re inexpensive and you just might love them as much as I do. This week, I tried an easier route to îles flottantes, that delicious French dessert featuring my favorite, crème anglaise, which I’ll tell you about at #3. Lastly, since we’re transitioning from winter to spring, I’ve been wearing one particular jacket more than any other. Read on.
1. Simple Salade Niçoise
Always delicious, this grande dame of composed salads never disappoints. Tuna, olives, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, and eggs make up the classic version. Traditionally this salad is made with fresh tuna, but recently I’ve been using high quality tuna packed in oil, and I was thrilled to find the Tonnino brand at Costco no less. Using jarred tuna just makes this dish even more accessible on a weeknight. Of course, canned tuna will work as well, or any of the tinned fish options from Fish Wife. I plan to try it with their smoked salmon one of these days. Be sure to plunge your green beans in ice water after blanching them for a few minutes in boiling water; this will lock in their bright green color.
Vinaigrette:
1 T shallot, minced
3 T sherry vinegar
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 t kosher salt
1 T Dijon mustard
½ t pepper
¾ c extra virgin olive oil
Salad:
1 jar premium tuna in olive oil, such as Tonnino or Ortiz
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 c salad greens
1 lb green beans, blanched (I like the thinner haricots verts)
1 lb small new potatoes, boiled or roasted
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved if desired
4-5 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
½ c nicoise or kalamata olives
1-2 ripe avocados, sliced
Flaky sea salt and black pepper
Parsley and basil for garnish, chopped
To make the vinaigrette, whisk together shallot, vinegars, and salt in a small bowl. Wait 10 minutes to slightly pickle the shallot and dissolve the salt. Whisk in the mustard and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly. Or, add all ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously. This makes more than you need, so refrigerate the rest up to one week.
Arrange ingredients on your serving platter. I like to start with salad greens underneath and a little to one side. Then fan out the green beans and potatoes. Tomatoes next, and eggs. Think of it as a color wheel, separating the different colors for maximum effect. Finish with olives and avocado. Drizzle about ¼ cup (or more) vinaigrette over the salad. Sprinkle on some flaky salt, a few grindings of black pepper, and the chopped herbs to garnish.
Thought I’d drop one of my favorite kitchen tools on you. I use mine all the time, and they’re inexpensive, long-handled, and invite precision. But you don’t need to be placing micro green garnishes on a plate before the pass to use these; I use mine everyday. They also make a great gift for a foodie in your life.
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3. Îles Flottantes
Such a ubiquitous French dessert, I’ve always avoided making this, mostly because I didn’t like the meringue poaching process. Recently I saw a recipe in the WSJ where the meringue is baked rather than poached. What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that? For me, it’s 90% about the crème anglaise anyway, which I just want to drink like a beverage.
