2handfuls~10 oz petite/baby potatoes (1 to 1.5" diameter)
1tspavocado oil
1Tbspdry white wineskip for Whole30
1/4tspsea salt
2eggs
5ozharicots vertsthin, stringless green beans, washed and ends removed
2heads little gem or baby romaineleaves separated, washed, and thoroughly dried
1small red onionvery thinly sliced
1cupgrape tomatoeshalved
1/2cupNiçoise or kalamata olivesdrained
1/2cupprepared artichoke heartsdrained
8large capersdrained
6anchovy filletsdrained and patted dry
1small handful chivesroughly chopped
lemon wedges for servingif desired
Instructions
Niçoise Dressing
Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth. Alternately, you can made this dressing in a jar by finely chopping the herbs, adding all ingredients to a medium-sized jar and shaking until emulsified.
Niçoise Salad
Remove tuna from refrigeration about 20 minutes before beginning (while you are prepping the vegetables).
Rinse tuna fillets with cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with a bit of sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
Place potatoes in a medium-sized pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
While waiting for the water to boil, heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the tuna fillets in the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side for 1" fillets. Adjust cooking time based on the thickness of your fillets. Remove tuna to a plate and allow to cool for 10 minutes then place in the refrigerator.
Once you have a rolling boil, boil the potatoes for about 5 minutes or until they are just tender enough to easily pierce with a fork. If your potatoes are larger than about 1.5" in diameter, you may need to cook longer. Drain and cut in half while they are still hot. Place potato halves in a bowl, pour in white wine and 1/4 tsp sea salt, and gently toss with a silicon spatula. Set aside.
Pour a glass of the wine for yourself. A little wine for the food and a little wine for the cook. That's what my mom always says :)
Place eggs in the pot and cover with room temperature water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Right when it comes to a boil, cover with a lid and remove from heat. Let the eggs sit for 10 minutes. Prepare an ice bath in a bowl. After the 10 minutes, carefully remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice bath. Once the eggs have cooled (about 5 mins), carefully remove their shells under running water, then place them in the refrigerator.
Place about 1/2 inch of water in the pot and place a steaming basket on top. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, place the haricots verts in the steaming basket, cover with the lid, and steam for 2 1/2 minutes. Remove the haricots verts and plunge directly into an ice bath to retain the brilliant green color and stop the cooking process. Once they have cooled, dry with paper towels and place in a shallow bowl.
Remove the tuna and eggs from the refrigerator. Roughly flake the tuna using forks or your hands. Slice the eggs in halves or quarters.
Spoon 2 tsp dressing onto the potatoes and gently toss with a silicon spatula. Season to taste with sea salt.
Spoon 1 tsp dressing onto the haricots verts and gently toss with tongs or fingers. Season to taste with sea salt.
Brush dressing onto lettuce leaves with a pastry brush OR drizzle on and toss using tongs or fingers.
Now it's time to arrange the salad! You can arrange on a serving platter or on individual plates.
Lay down the lettuce leaves first, then pile on the toppings how ever you'd like! I'll list them off so you don't forget anything: lettuce, tuna, potato salad, haricots verts, eggs, onion slices, tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, capers, anchovies and chives. Then drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.