Salad Nicoise
 

I will be in Paris, Dijon and Uzes and am looking forward to salad nicoise while I am there. Is it my imagination, or do the French not do seared, fresh tuna, but only canned tuna on their salad nicoise? It seems that here in the U.S. is the only place I've had fresh tuna on my salad nicoise. Please refresh my memory. I leave in one week!

I had some of the best niciose salads while in France. The best was in Nice. And yes, they use canned tuna which is perfect for Me since I don't do fresh Tuna.

The salad I had in Nice was perfect and I often dream of it. And the Handsome French Man that served Me made it even better..

The Cote d'Azur is where Salad Nicoise is served(named after Nice)But have been to the other places you named and hav never seen it on menu. I have had the Fresh seared only in France.
Amazing how everyone's experience is different but still valid.

I know that salad nicoise is on some Parisian menus, as I've been doing some research. Well, I'll just have to see how they serve it. I prefer it fresh, but canned will do. And yes, a handsome waiter makes any meal even more delectable! :)

I have had a Nicoise salad a few times in Paris and it was canned tuna, but a stronger tasting tuna than we get here. Having said that I always had it in a cafe - never a high end place. I remember being amazed at the amount of tuna in the salad.

The best salade niçoise I ever had in Paris was in a little Italian restaurant on rue Mabillon in the 6th. Awful atmosphere, rude waiters but absolutely great food. I go back almost every time I'm in Paris.

I had a wonderful salad Nicoise at La Terrasse Du 7eme at 2 Place de L’Ecole Militaire this past March. The tuna was canned, but good. And oh, those green beans! The best I've ever had. Our waiter wasn't bad either. Young and friendly!

They have both tinned and fresh, in the end it comes down to how much your paying and how POSH the place is

I would think that in most cafés that serve things like salade niçoise, seared tuna would be prohibitively expensive (for the customers I mean). A salad that usually costs 10 euros or so would probably double in price, as fresh tuna is expensive here. I might be wrong, of course, but I'm not sure if people would be willing to spend a lot for a salad niçoise, unless they were in a higher end place.

Ate at 2 cafes (one in 9th; other 8th)
this past April & both served what I
believe to be the traditional Nicoise
-canned tuna.
However, the 8th cafe served it on a
crepe.
Neither waiter was memorable though.

The canned tuna they will use is SO superior to any we routinely use in the US that you will not miss the fresh seared. It isn't Chicken of the Sea.

I have had Salade Nicoise many times in France and the tuna was always canned--the dark variety. It was always served on a bed of lettuce and often the olives were not the Nicoise type olive. I prefer my own recipe which fresh tuna is used and fresh haricot verts as well.

We've only ever had it in France with canned tuna. This last trip we had it twice and it was only ok...no fresh anchovies which makes a difference in taste.

Gretchen has it right.
Its canned but it is wonderful.
I only by canned tuna canned in Italy now days...

St. Tropez only canned, but those haricot verte and the vinaigrette ...sigh.

For me, criteria for proper salad nicoise calls for
1) tinned tuna in olive oil,
2) still al-dente, fresh (ie not frozen) thin greenbeans,
3) egg that is not completely hard-boiled, soft-ish yolk in the centre,
4) nicoise black olives and capers,
5) proper anchovy fillets,
6) good vinaigrette dressing with a hint of dijon mustard

Well, ignoring the previous ignorant response, I have also eaten it, altho only in Paris, never in Nice, and it was always canned. Oh to be in Paris eating canned tuna! :)

The classic salade niçoise is made with canned tuna; the fresh version is a variation on the theme. However, the canned tuna in France (and Italy) is wonderful, not like the somewhat tasteless stuff we get here.

Cimbrone, don't worry, it will be good.
The ORIGINAL salade Niçoise did not include Tuna, fresh or tinned. All over the South of France when you order the salad it will differ, some will include potatoes others not, some include artichoke hearts, peppers. I hve had the Fresh tuna and it's more expensive but once you have it you won't be satisfied with tinned and it'' s very filling. I have a huge collection of Provençal cookbooks and have dined in so many plces and never had the salad served the same way.

I eat salade niçoise for the anchovies and the bell peppers, not the tuna. But the other ingredients are good, too.

It'll be fine even if it's canned. I do remember the canned tuna being richer than anything we have over here. This is probably partly because, when in the U.S., I buy only no fat, no oil, low sodium everything. (Of course things taste better in France!) I've heard that the potatoes vs. no potatoes Nicoise is the cause of some contentious debate. I prefer potatoes. And I agree that a salad nicoise is not a salad nicoise if it is sans anchoise.

hi,

just to join in, I've never had salad nicoise without tomatoes [fresh] in it.

regards, ann

I now realize that my post above looks like I was insulting an innocent person. When I posted previously, someone had just made a gratuitous insult to the French....the editors are definitely on top of things today!! :)

Thank you, socialworker! I read through the posts trying to figure out to what you were referring. Now I know what I missed!

You guys are making me so hungry for salad Nicoise! I was going to make some sort of salmon salad for supper. Maybe I'm just going to have to see how Nicoise would be with salmon!;)

I think it would be yummy w/salmon! I have a recipe for nicoise dressing that is from a party in Cambridge, MA from the 70s written in pencil on a note card. Even back then in my very "naif" days, I could recognize something that tasted so great and was new to my limited experience. I asked the hostess for the recipe and I smile everytime I pull out the card and use the recipe.

the tuna canned with water is bitter in my opinion. I only buy the Italian tuna in oil. The flavor is deep and rich. I use this in my Nicoise Salad and it is so good. But I would like to see your recipe, socialworker, I am always looking for better dressings. (If you would like to share)

The first salade niçoise that I had was one I made from Julia Childs's first cookbook. So far nothing I've had in a restaurant compares. As for the tuna, I remember Julia saying that a true salade niçoise was meant to be made with canned tuna, and she never developed a liking for the version with fresh. D'accord.

Oh, and my old favorite for salad nicoise in paris is Le Castiglione at 235 rue Saint Honore. With a cool glass of white wine it is perfecto.

Happy to share, but the caveat is that everytime I make it, I become a naive 23 year old tasting it for the first time, and so it may only be ordinary to the world at large, but was a revelation to me!! (I think it may be from an old NYT cookbook, the attribution is not included on the card)

Dressing--Salade Nicoise
2 Tbsp mustard--Dijon or Dusseldorf
2 Tbsp wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cloves garlic finely minced
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
6 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme

There are no mixing directions, but I always whisk together all the mustard, vinegar, garlic and seasonings and then drizzle in the oil, stirring it well. I can't remember if last time I made it, I just skipped using veg oil and used all olive oil....

Great! Thank you so much.

My favorite recipe is from Cook's Illustrated July-Aug. 2002.They also did a tuna tasting report. 1st place went to Ortiz bonito del norte "ventresca." 2nd place to Ortiz bonito del norte (oval tin) which is the one I always use. I'm having it for dinner since the temp. is in the high 80's today. CJ

that sounds good socialworker :)
Here's Julia Child's:

Julia Child's Salade Niçoise
- serves 6 -

Ingredients
1 large head Boston-lettuce leaves, washed and dried

1 pound green beans, cooked and refreshed

1-1/2 tablespoons minced shallots

1/2 to 2/3 cup basic vinaigrette

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 or 4 ripe red tomatoes, cut into wedges (or 10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved)

3 or 4 "boiling" potatoes, peeled, sliced, and cooked

Two 3-ounce cans chunk tuna, preferably oil-packed

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved

1 freshly opened can of flat anchovy fillets

1/3 cup small black Niçoise-type olives

2 to 3 tablespoons capers

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley


Procedure
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large platter or in a shallow bowl. Shortly before serving, toss the beans with the shallots, spoonfuls of vinaigrette, and salt and pepper. Baste the tomatoes with a spoonful of vinaigrette. Place the potatoes in the center of the platter and arrange a mound of beans at either end, with tomatoes and small mounds of tuna at strategic intervals. Ring the platter with halves of hard-boiled eggs, sunny side up, and curl an anchovy on top of each. Spoon more vinaigrette over all; scatter on olives, capers, and parsley, and serve.

I am American and in addition to loving salade nicoise (of any sort)I love a good tuna salad with celery, onion and mayo. And, one of my favorites in the UK is their tuna made with sweet corn! I was wondering as I read this thread, do the French make tuna salad?

Do these recipes mean that Cimbrone can cancel the trip?

No, the French do not make American tuna salad. They use tuna in different ways. You can find a tuna-mayonnaise combination in certain sandwiches, but you'll never find the celery. When I use celery in any kind of salad in France, it creates raves and questions. "Is that fennel?" No it isn't. (But fennel is a fabulous replacement for celery in certain recipes.)

Sweet corn and tuna - I adore it! I just ate a roll-up tortilla sandwich with tuna, corn and red beans. It was great. Unfortunately it was made by the restaurant where I work but on Nantucket at Cook's there is an excellent tortilla roll up sandwich called the Napoleon with tuna, corn and a special dressing that I crave!

Is there a recipe for the tuna and corn? My husband loves corn.

Can't you figure it out for yourself, cigalechanta? I think it sounds pretty good myself (never had it) and I certainly don't need a recipe to figure out how to put corn in a tuna salad.

Wise Ane! I want to know the dressing

Salade Nicoise:
Fresh tuna--baked until done, not rare
fresh cooked haricots, left whole
new (red) potatoes, cooked & sliced
tomato wedges
boiled eggs, quartered
capers, anchovies, Nicoise olives
red onion slices(thin sliced)

Other optional items may be added if you like. Arrange on a large platter with ingredients in groups with the capers, anchovies, olives scattered on top. Tuna can be sliced or cut into bite size chunks.

viniagrette:
good olive oil
white balsamic vinegar
Dijon mustard--tsp or so
chopped chives--handful
fresh ground black pepper
Exact amounts are not important--use your own proportions making the dressing. Makes a great picnic dish and this recipe will not disappoint. On occasion I have used canned tuna which makes a somewhat lighter salad.

No one mentioned my favorite "pain bagnat". Another wonderful warm weather beach kind of food found mostly on the Riviera.

No chance of my canceling the trip, kerouac. In addition to Salad Nicoise, I can't wait for an egg, mayonnaise and tomato baguette; pissaladier; a chocolate crepe; and Berthillon ice cream. I'm counting the minutes!

Something else the English do with their sandwiches is put cole slaw on them. When I was a little boy, I'd sneak my cole slaw on to my sandwiches, so I was thrilled when I got to England and saw this is considered normal there:)