Print

Maximalist Salade Niçoise (with Herb Marinated Soft-Boiled Egg)

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 25 minutes + 15 minutes for eggs

Units Scale

Ingredients

Maximalist Salade Niçoise

  • 6 cups torn assorted lettuces and other salad greens
  • 2 cups haricot vert, trimmed
  • 4 marinated soft-boiled eggs (recipe below)
  • 1 cup good black olives (preferably Niçoise or any oil-cured)
  • 3 fresh tomatoes, cored, seeded if you’d like, and cut into wedges
  • 6 anchovy fillets
  • 1 can tuna (preferably packed in olive oil), drained (optional)
  • 1 can preserved octopus, drained
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus a little more if needed
  • About 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 small shallot, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Herb Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 sprigs tarragon, chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 3 tablespooons white shoyu
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar, mirin or agro dolce vinegar

Instructions

Maximalist Salade Niçoise

  1. Going in the order above, put the lettuce, haricot vert, eggs, olives, tomatoes, anchovies, octopus and tuna, if you’re using it, on a platter or in a shallow bowl, scattering or piling things as you like. Or—less attractive but easier to serve—toss all the ingredients together in a big bowl.
  2. Put the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, garlic, shallot, za’atar and mustard in a jar or small bowl. Shake or stir vigorously, taste and adjust the seasoning, and mix again. Pour over the salad and serve.

Herb Marinated Soft Boiled Eggs

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, remove 4 eggs from the refrigerator, gently place in the boiling water and set a timer for 7 minutes. While the eggs boil, set up a large bowl with ice water and start on the marinade.
  2. Place 2 sprigs chopped tarragon and 2 sprigs thyme in a medium bowl. Pour 3/4 cup of hot water (I just pull it from the pot with the eggs)  over the herbs.  Let steep 5 minutes. To the herb tea, add in 3 tablespoons white shoyu and 3 tablespoons vinegar; stir to combine.
  3. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs from the heat and place in the ice water to stop the cooking. Peel the eggs and place in the ziplock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag with the eggs and gently squeeze out as much air as possible so the eggs are submerged in liquid. Chill at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours.

— Recipe adapted from How to Cook Everything: Completely Revised Twentieth Anniversary Edition