Feast Together: Communal Salade Niçoise
For those with food commitment issues, there is Graze. It's a colorful collection of vibrant "not quite a meal, more than a snack" dishes from renowned recipe developer and food stylist Suzanne Lenzer. Whether you're looking for a late night nosh or light lunch-ish-type-meal, there's plenty of options in here for you. This communal salade niçoise is a healthy, colorful way to feed a bunch of people.
I have loved salade Niçoise for as long as I can remember. My version is less traditional — I've swapped fresh tuna for the meaty pink Italian kind that comes packed in olive oil; I'm partial to substituting roasted tomatoes if fresh aren't truly in season; and I suggest creamy green olives instead of the traditional black — but the communal concept is the same. Everyone gets a little bit of everything with only one plate to wash.
- 8 small new potatoes
- sea salt
- Good handful haricots verts
- 2-3 anchovy fillets
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 small heads gem butter lettuce
- 1 jar or can (5-7 ounces) Italian tuna in olive oil
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs
- 8-10 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup Cerignola olives or other buttery olives
- Put the potatoes in a pot of salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are just tender and can be pierced with a knife, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a bowl to cool.
- Return the water to a boil, add the haricots verts, and cook until the water returns to a boil and the beans are just bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Meanwhile, put the anchovies and garlic on a cutting board and chop them together. Then use the side of your knife to mash them even more, until nearly a paste. Transfer the mixture to a small lidded jar and add the olive oil and lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper, seal the jar, and shake well.
- Separate the leaves of lettuce and lay them on a platter or board. Scatter the potatoes over the lettuce and spoon the tuna evenly around the platter. Halve the eggs and spread them around evenly as well, then add the tomatoes, haricots verts, and olives. To serve, drizzle some of the dressing over the platter and serve the rest alongside.