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:)