The perfect salade nicoise

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Ingredients

4 courgettes
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 red pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 yellow pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 red onions, sliced into wedges extra virgin olive oil
Salt
80 g fine French beans, topped and tailed
80 g asparagus tips
6 Mediterranean baby potatoes, sliced in half
60 ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
30 ml fresh basil pesto
4 organic lemons, sliced in half
Sugar for dipping
6 organic, free-range eggs
4 x 200 g fresh tuna fillets, about 2.5cm in thickness
15 ml dried, mixed herbs
Freshly ground black pepper
1 packet mixed salad leaves a handful fresh basil
12 - 16 calamata olives
12 mini Rosa tomatoes, sliced in half
8 anchovy fillets
Italian parsley, to serve
For the dressing:
180 ml extra virgin olive oil
30 ml organic white balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely crushed
15 ml Dijon mustard
15 ml chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ml crème fraîche

Cooking Instructions

To make the dressing: Mix all the ingredients except the crème fraîche in a mixing bowl. Just before serving the salad add the crème fraîche and whisk well to combine.

To make the salad: Preheat the oven to 200°C and heat a griddle pan.

Prepare the vegetables: Slice the courgettes diagonally and grill briefly on a hot griddle. Place the peppers and red onion in a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast until nicely singed and caramelised.

Blanch the beans and asparagus tips in salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain and refresh in ice-cold water.

Boil the baby potato halves until tender, then drain and, to the still warm pot, add 60ml (4T) olive oil, a pinch of salt and the pesto. Pop the lid back on the pot and gently shake the potatoes around until everything is well coated.

Boil the eggs for 4 or 5 minutes in boiling water, then cool under cold water, remove the shells and slice in half lengthways.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the tuna and coat the flesh with the rub. Season. Heat a non-stick griddle pan until smoking hot, add the tuna fillets and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes on each side. Remove and leave to rest.

Dip the lemon halves, sliced-side down, into the sugar and then place on a hot griddle and cook until sticky and caramelised (a minute or two).

Place some lettuce and ripped basil on each plate. Scatter the olives, tomatoes, courgettes, peppers, onions, beans and asparagus tips over the leaves. Place three pesto-potato halves and three egg halves on each plate and position the anchovies on the side of the plate.

Top with a fillet of seared tuna. Drizzle with the salad dressing. Add a final grind of pepper, a sprinkling of chopped parsley and garnish with the caramelised lemon.

Per serving: 4907.41kJ, 83.65g protein, 79.48 fat, 35.99 carbs

This recipe is also featured in our handy How To section, and comes with a step-by-step slideshow: How to the perfect salade nicoise