Salade Niçoise
Serves 6
Whisk together garlic, lemon juice vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in the oil. Add the dried herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Scrub the potatoes. Place in a vegetable steamer, set over a pan of boiling water, and cover closely. Potatoes should steam until just tender when pierced with a knife. Cut in half lengthwise, then into slices 3/8 inch thick.
Toss the warm potatoes gently in a large bowl with the minced shallot, sprinkling on 1/4 teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper.
Then toss with the wine. Let sit for about 5 minutes, tossing twice more, and allowing the potatoes to absorb as much liquid as they will.
Fold gently with 1/4 cup of the sauce vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
Chop and add to the vinaigrette just before serving.
Soak the capers in vermouth until ready to compose the salad.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water. Add salt to the boiling water. Drop the beans in the pot. Cook for a 45 seconds to 2 minutes (depends on your beans) just until the beans are bright green and tender-crisp. Scoop out the beans and drop them in the ice water.
Place eggs in a medium pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then cover the pot and turn the heat off. Let the eggs cook for 10 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water and chill for 14 minutes. Then peel.
Do this the moment before serving. Choose a deep round platter, or a wide bowl. Toss the lettuce with several spoonfuls of sauce vinaigrette, and arrange the leaves around the edge of the platter or bowl. Turn the potato salad into the middle. Arrange groups of tomatoes around the potatoes; sprinkle with salt and droplets of sauce vinaigrette.
Toss the beans with a spoonful of dressing, plus a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste; arrange in groups between the tomatoes.
Distribute eggs, yellow side up, at decorative intervals, and place anchovies and capers over them.
Ring the potatoes with a line of black olives; break up the tuna fish and arrange it in the center of the potatoes or at intervals around their edge.
Spoon a little of the sauce vinaigrette over the tuna, and dribble the rest over the potatoes. Decorate the tuna with parsley, and the salad is ready to serve.
