One of the classic salads, this originated in the French city of Nice, on the sun-kissed Cote d’Azur. In the beginning it was a simple combination of tomatoes, anchovies and olive oil but nowadays there are quite a few versions, and heated discussions about which is the ‘authentic’ one. The recipe here is our favourite way of doing it, and we give it the Spice Mountain touch by adding a sprinkle of our Tomato, Olive and Basil salt, and a smidgen of our Smoked Garlic granules, along with lemon juice and black pepper. You can add a bit of carbohydrate action to the proceedings with some boiled new potatoes if you choose, and this makes for an excellent lunch dish alongside a chilled crisp white wine and a hunk of crusty bread. We like to use fresh tuna, but have no problem with good quality canned (and this is a good idea if you are making a large salad to share).
01.
Ingredients
200g Tuna steak
4 Ripe, juicy tomatoes
2 Hard boiled eggs, quartered
2 Little gem lettuce hearts, quartered
100g Fine French beans, blanched
1 Red Onion, finely sliced
6 Anchovy fillets, cut into thin strips
Handful Black olives
75ml Extra virgin olive oil
1tbs Red wine vinegar
1tbs Lemon juice
1tsp Tomato, olive and basil salt
1/2 Smoked garlic granules
1tsp Herbes de Provence
Good grind Black Pepper
02.
Method
- Combine the dressing ingredients in a jar or deep bowl and shake or whisk until thoroughly incorporated. Marinate the tuna steak in a few tablespoons of the dressing for a couple of hours, turning occasionally, and when you are ready to make the salad sear the tuna for a couple of minutes each side, depending on how rare you like the fish.
- Arrange the other ingredients on a large plate or in a bowl – lettuce first, then onion, then tomato, then the beans and anchovies, with the tuna to lie on the top, Arrange the eggs and olives around the edges, lay the torn basil leaves over the top, and then drizzle over the dressing.
