Recipe of the week: Tuna Niçoise Salad

This is a fabulous salad for winter or summer and a  tuna party, full of different textures and rich flavours. Excellent as a main course –  try serving it in a large dish in the centre of the table, with plenty of crusty bread.

Ingredients:

• 500g small new potatoes
• olive oil for coating
• 250g cherry tomatoes
• 200g fine green beans, topped and tailed
• 200g tuna in olive oil, drained
• 4 anchovies, cut lengthways into thin strips
• 1 large bunch of basil

For the dressing:
• 2 shallots, finely diced
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp grainy mustard (such as Meaux) sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 7 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Gently cook the potatoes in their skins in a pan of simmering water for 20 minutes. Heat the oven to 200 °C/gas 6. Lightly brush a baking tray with olive oil. Toss the cherry tomatoes in the oil to coat them and roast in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Put the dressing ingredients, except the oil, into ajar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well blended. Then add the olive oil and shake vigorously again. Drain the potatoes, cut them in half and place in a salad bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat the warm potatoes. Plunge the green beans into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain well and add, warm, to the potatoes. Flake and add the tuna along with the anchovy strips and the tomatoes straight from the oven, and gently mix. Tear up the basil, scatter it over the Tuna Salad and serve this tuna recipe at once.

Serves 6.

Source: The French Kitchen, by Joanne Harris and Fran Warde

Please give this recipe a try and let us know what you think by clicking on the comments link… thank you!