Salade Niçoise
Ingredients:
1 tin of Fishwife Albacore Tuna
Handful of mixed lettuces
Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
Castelvetrano olives, torn (a bastardization of a classic, I know)
Green beans, blanched till tender and tossed in olive oil and lemon juice
2 soft boiled eggs, halved
Sage, rosemary & garlic seared potatoes, recipe follows
Garlic & basil vinaigrette, recipe follows
Fresh basil
Preparation:
Assemble all ingredients on a large enough plate, creating a pocket of space for each ingredient to hold its own. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Sage, rosemary & garlic seared potatoes
Ingredients:
A handful of moderately sized fingerling potatoes
Sea salt
A bay leaf
A couple sprigs each of rosemary and sage
2 peeled and crushed garlic cloves, more if you’re feeling wild
A generous pat of butter
Preparation:
Add the potatoes, bay leaf, and a very generous amount of salt - more than you think acceptable - to a small pot. Add enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Bring to a boil and cook till the potatoes are just tender. You can judge this by inserting the tip of a small knife into the potato - it should be able to pierce through the potato with little resistance, but should still feel firm and far from crumbling apart.
Remove from the heat and drain. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them in half longways.
Heat the butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the herbs and crushed garlic, swirl to coat, then place the potatoes cut side down into the sizzling butter. Cook until the potatoes are irresistibly aromatic and golden brown.
Garlic and basil vinaigrette
Ingredients:
3 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (extra credit if you use a basil oil like Brightland’s Arise)
A handful of lush basil leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Microplace the garlic into a small bowl and cover with the vinegar. Set aside to mellow for 5-10 minutes. This process almost pickles the garlic - relieving the intensity of its punch, and making it more tame on your digestive system.
Add the salt, pepper, basil, and olive oil and whisk to emulsify. Taste for seasoning. Is it bright enough? Peppery enough? Only your taste buds can tell. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.