It’s soooo hot over here…that means it’s salad time! Our colorful Salmon Niçoise Salad is one of our favorites. Although it may look like it’s a lot of work, it’s really not. Most of the salad can be prepared ahead of time. Though the traditional Niçoise salad is served with tuna, we think the salmon adds a little something special. Tuna would also be very much at home in this recipe, if that’s what you prefer. We like our potatoes oven roasted rather than the traditional boiled potatoes – they add a nice texture to the salad.

We hope you are enjoying your last days of summer. Bon Apétit!

Salmon Nicoise Salad

For the salad:

• 4 4-ounce salmon filets
• 1 lb small yellow potatoes (dutch yellow or fingerling are good)
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 8 oz haricot verts or green beans, trimmed
• 4 hard boiled eggs
• 1 cup pitted Nicoise olives, drained
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 5 oz baby lettuces

For the dressing:

• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 ½ Tbsp minced shallot
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• freshly ground pepper

Green Beans:

Fill a medium saucepan with water and add ½ teaspoon of salt. Prepare a bowl with ice and water and set aside. Blanch the haricot verts for 3-4 minutes. Drain and place in an ice bath to halt cooking. These can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Eggs:

Place 1 inch of water in a saucepan fitted with a steamer basket. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Place the eggs in the steamer basket and cover the pot with lid. Cook for 7 minutes. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl with lots of ice and a little water. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 5 more minutes. Remove the eggs and place in ice bath. The eggs can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 20 minutes until golden and crispy. Serve immediately with salad.

Salmon:

Pat the salmon dry and coat with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to a frying pan and heat over medium heat. Cook the salmon, skin side up, undisturbed for 4 minutes. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes until just cooked through. Remove from pan and let cool to the touch. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin.

Dressing:

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, white wine vinegar, mustard and shallot. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Dressing can be store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

Putting it All Together:

Divide the lettuce between 4 dinner plates. Place the salmon, potatoes, haricot verts, tomatoes, eggs and olives in sections around the plate. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy!

Serves 4