sidedish: Potato Salad Niçoise

Shaded from the relentless midday sun by a brightly striped awning just steps from the Rivera’s unmistakable rocky beach, a mere salad rises to ritual. The embodiment of the Côtes d’Azur’s character, pulling the summer’s best produce and seafood into a crisp, bright dish, light enough to enjoy as a break from the beach. Crunchy green beans foil tender, creamy potatoes while tangy local black olives add depth and a bracing tang. Inspired by a classic “Salade Niçoise,” I set on infusing this perfectly balanced French summer staple into a good ‘ol American potato salad. The recipe below calls for all the ingredients to be mixed thoroughly before serving, but you may keep some of the green beans, olives and eggs aside to garnish, making a striking addition to any BBQ or picnic.

 

Potato Salad Niçoise

Makes about 8-9 cups

 

NOTE: As always, coarse Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper are used in this, and all my recipes (unless noted). Using finely ground table salt would greatly affect the outcome of the final dish as a teaspoon of table salt contains much more salt than the same measure of coarse.

 

1 large egg yolk

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

4 Tablespoons lemon juice (from about 2 lemon)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 to 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 large eggs

½ pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar

¼ cup black olives, pitted and halved lengthwise, such as Kalamata or Niçoise

½ medium onion, finely chopped (about ½ cup)

 

To make the dressing: place the egg yolk, red wine vinegar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in the bowl of a food processor or jar of an electric blender. Process for one minute to fully incorporate. While the machine is running add the olive oil in a steady, thin stream till an emulsified mayonnaise forms. Remove and keep chilled.

To hard cook the eggs: in a medium saucepan, cover the eggs with one inch of cold water. Over high heat, bring to a boil. As soon as a roiling boil starts, cover the pot tightly and turn off the heat for 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs to an ice bath. After they are cooled, peel carefully, set aside and keep chilled.

To cook the green beans: in the same pot and water as used for cooking the eggs, add enough water to fill to two-thirds full and about 2 teaspoons of salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until desired tenderness. Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans to an ice bath till fully cooled. Drain, set aside, and keep chilled.

To cook the potatoes: in a large Dutch oven, place the potatoes, 8 cups of water, white vinegar, and 2 Tablespoons of salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer vigorously for 10 to 15 minutes, until just tender. Using a slotted spoon, remove to an ice bath till fully cooled. Drain, set aside, and keep chilled.

To assemble the salad: chop the hard cooked eggs in half lengthwise, and then chop each half into quarters. Place the potatoes, eggs, green beans, olives, and onion in a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of the dressing and combine carefully using a rubber spatula. Add the final 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, about 1 Tablespoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Combine again and taste for salt and pepper and adjust accordingly. Cover and place in fridge for flavors to mingle for at least one hour.