Niçoise Recipe

Cook potatoes

Place baby potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 12–15 minutes depending on size. Drain, let cool slightly, then halve or quarter depending on size. Toss with a pinch of coarse salt and set aside warm or at room temperature.

Blanch green beans

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the green beans and blanch 2–3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain and pat dry. Trim ends if needed and set aside.

Prepare other vegetables

Halve the cherry tomatoes, thinly slice radishes, drain and quarter the artichoke hearts, and slice roasted red peppers into strips. Place the mixed salad greens on a large platter or divide among individual plates. Arrange potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, artichokes, radishes, and olives attractively around the greens. Reserve space in the center for the seared fish and eggs.

In a small bowl or jar, combine sherry vinegar, whole grain mustard, minced shallot, minced garlic, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, and the optional minced anchovy if using. Whisk or shake to combine. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning; if too sharp, add a little more oil or a touch more honey. Set aside at room temperature.

Soft- or hard-boil eggs

For slightly jammy yolks, place eggs in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 7 minutes. For fully hard-cooked yolks, simmer 10–11 minutes. Transfer to ice water for 5 minutes, peel, and halve lengthwise. Keep chilled until plating.

Season fish

Pat the tuna or salmon dry with paper towels. Rub both sides lightly with olive oil and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sear fish

Heat a heavy skillet (cast iron preferred) over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl. For tuna: sear 45–60 seconds per side for rare center (longer if desired). For salmon: sear skin-side down first 3–4 minutes until crisp, then flip and sear 1–2 minutes until medium (cook longer for well-done). Remove fish to a cutting board and rest 2 minutes, then slice into 1/2-inch thick slices (for tuna) or 1–1.5 inch portions (for salmon).

Warm anchovies (optional)

If you prefer warm anchovies as garnish, briefly warm anchovy fillets in the hot skillet for 10–20 seconds just to soften and intensify flavor, then remove.

Drizzle 2–3 tablespoons of the sherry mustard vinaigrette over the arranged vegetables and potatoes, tossing lightly so components are coated but not drenched.

Nestle the halved eggs, sliced seared fish, and anchovy fillets among the vegetables on the platter. Scatter roasted red pepper strips and olives to balance the composition. Taste and add more vinaigrette as desired.

Finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley or chives, a crack of fresh black pepper, and a few flakes of sea salt over the fish and eggs. Serve with lemon wedges on the side so diners can squeeze to taste.