Recipes

Niçoise Nouvelle

This contemporary twist on the classic Salade Niçoise offers a vibrant explosion of color, varying textures, and bold flavors. It revitalizes a cherished dish, transforming it into a delightful culinary adventure. If salmon isn’t your fish of choice, grilled tuna or shrimp are excellent substitutes. Za’atar the Middle Eastern spice blend is typically a combination of dried oregano, thyme, sumac and sesame seeds; it adds both earthy and subtle citrus undertones to the tomatoes, and just a hint of nuttiness. 

While a classic Niçoise salad features small black Niçoise olives, green olives are a delicious alternative and even better when included in a punchy vinaigrette. Their tangier, slightly saltier, and brinier flavor perfectly complements the summery vegetables and cuts through the richness of the salmon.

Niçoise Nouvelle
By Stephanie Banyas, Culinary Experience Manager
4 to 6
Ingredients
Directions

Green Olive Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup champagne vinegar
  • 3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1/2 serrano chile, finely grated
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup finely chopped pitted green olives (such as picholine or calavastro)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley

Niçoise Salad

  • 1 ½ pounds small yellow Yukon gold potatoes
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 7 large eggs
  • 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons za’atar spice blend
  • 3/4 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
  • 1 bunch thick asparagus, trimmed
  • 12 ounces shishito peppers
  • 1 ½ pound center-cut salmon fillet
  • 2 tablespoons capers, drained

Green Olive Vinaigrette

Combine the vinegar, anchovy, garlic and Serrano in a medium bowl and let sit for 15 minutes. Whisk in the mustard, salt and pepper until combined. Slowly whisk in the oil and continue whisking until emulsified. Fold in the olives and chervil. Cover and let sit at room temperature while you prepare the salad.

Nicoise Salad

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 3 tablespoons of salt, and cook the potatoes until soft—this should take 18-22 minutes. 
2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool slightly. Brush a half-sheet pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place each potato onto the oiled baking sheet and use the back of a measuring cup or the palm of your hand to smash them down to a ¼-inch thickness. (The potatoes can be made up to this point and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.) Brush the tops of the potatoes with another 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. 
3. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. While the potatoes are cooking, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Carefully lower the eggs in the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Carefully remove the eggs using a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice bath. Let sit in the ice bath for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs from the ice bath (the eggs can be cooked and refrigerated 24 hours in advance.) carefully peel and slice in half just before serving. 
4. Combine the tomatoes, za’atar and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl and let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad. 
5a. Preheat the grill using gas or charcoal to 500° F. Toss the green beans and the asparagus separately in a few tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the green beans until charred , about 2 minutes, remove to a sheet pan and toss with a few tablespoons of the green olive vinaigrette. 
5b. Grill the asparagus until charred and just crisp tender, about 2 to 4 minutes. Remove to a sheet pan and toss with a few tablespoons of the green onion vinaigrette. 
6. Grill the shishitos until charred on both sides, about 2 minutes. Remove to a sheet pan.
7. Brush both sides of the salmon liberally with oil and season with salt and pepper. With the grill still at 500° F, place the salmon on the grill, skin side down, and grill with the lid closed for 5 to 7 minutes until the fish lightens in color and the skin begins to release from the grates. Gently flip the salmon over using a fish spatula (avoid tongs as they can damage the delicate fish) and cook for another 2-4 minutes, or until desired doneness (I prefer to cook salmon to medium doneness, which will register about 130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer). Remove the salmon to a cutting board, loosely tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. 
8. Decoratively arrange all the salad components on a large platter. Drizzle with more of the green olive vinaigrette and scatter the capers on top.

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