Nordstern Niçoise Recipe

Hard-boil eggs

Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover, remove from heat, and let sit 10 minutes. Transfer eggs to an ice bath to stop cooking and cool completely, about 5 minutes.

Peel and brine

Peel cooled eggs carefully and place them in a clean jar or container. Pour 1 cup beet brine over the peeled eggs so they are submerged. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably 4–6 hours) to develop a pale pink color and subtle beet flavor. Remove from brine just before plating and slice in half lengthwise.

Prepare potatoes: scrub fingerlings and halve lengthwise (leave very small whole). Place in a pot, cover with cold salted water, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 12–15 minutes depending on size. Drain and let steam-dry for a minute.

Dress potatoes: toss warm potatoes with 1 tsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Keep warm or let cool slightly; they may be served warm or at room temperature.

Blanch haricot verts: bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add haricot verts and cook 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender and bright green. Immediately transfer to ice bath to stop cooking and preserve color, then drain and pat dry.

Combine ingredients: in a small bowl or jar add 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp orange juice, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, minced shallot, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Emulsify: while whisking, slowly stream in 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil until dressing is smooth and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more lemon for brightness or honey for balance. Keep refrigerated briefly if not using immediately; bring to room temperature before dressing salad.

Arrange base: on a large platter or individual plates, create a bed with the 6 cups mixed greens, spreading evenly.

Add potatoes and haricot verts: distribute the warm or room-temperature fingerling potatoes over the greens and arrange blanched haricot verts in small bundles across the salad.

Scatter cherry tomatoes and olives: halve cherry tomatoes if desired and scatter along with halved kalamata olives across the salad for color and briny contrast.

Place smoked salmon: fan or fold the 8 oz Nordic oak-smoked salmon into ribbons and arrange atop the salad in several small piles so each portion gets salmon.

Add beet-brined eggs: place two halved beet-brined eggs per serving (four eggs total yields four servings) cut-side up across the salad for visual color and flavor.

Finish and dress: drizzle the Dijon-citrus vinaigrette evenly over the salad — start with about half the vinaigrette, toss gently to combine, then add more to taste. Scatter capers (optional) and sprinkle chopped fresh dill and a light pinch of finishing sea salt over the top.

Serve: offer extra vinaigrette on the side. Serve immediately so greens stay crisp and salmon is at cool room temperature.