4anchovy filletsminced (or use a 1-2 teaspoon of anchovy paste)
1lemonjuiced (approximately ⅓ cup)
1teaspoonlemon zest
1teaspoonDijon mustard
⅔cupolive oil
⅛teaspoonsalt
⅛teaspoonblack pepper
For the Salad:
20baby potatoes
4large eggs
8ouncegreen beanstrimmed
1head Bibb Lettucetorn into pieces
6radishesthinly sliced
½large cucumberpeeled if desired, thinly sliced
1cupgrape or cherry tomatoeshalved
1small red onionthinly sliced
½cupKalamata olives or black olivespits removed, halved if desired
2cans tunapacked in oil (I used Rio Mare)
Instructions
To Make the Dressing:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until emulsified. Adjust seasoning to taste, then set aside. Alternatively, you can add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth.
To Prepare the Salad:
Rinse and dry all vegetables before you start cooking.
Place baby potatoes in a pot of cold, salted water and bring to a boil. Cook 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain, then set aside to cool.
Place eggs in a single layer in a large pot. Fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a rolling boil, then remove pot from heat. Let eggs stand in the hot water for 10-12 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Peel eggs, cut each one in half, and set aside.
Placed green beans in a pot of water, and cook until just barely tender (about 3 minutes). Plunge the cooked beans into a bowl of ice water to maintain the bright green colour. Drain and set aside.
Use a potato masher, or a fork, to press down on the cooled potatoes until they crack. You don't want to completely smash them, just break them enough so they can absorb the dressing.
Arranged the lettuce in a single layer on a large platter. This is the base of your salad. Arrange the cracked potatoes on top of the lettuce, along with the eggs, prepared vegetables and olives. Spoon the tuna out of the cans to avoid adding excess oil to the salad. You can either add the tuna directly to the platter, or place in a small bowl next to it.
Season the salad with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with the dressing.
Refrigerate unused portions promptly.
Notes
Anchovy fillets: omit if you don't like them.
Lemon: Fresh lemon juice works better than ReaLemon.
Dijon mustard: If you don't have Dijon, substitute your favourite mustard.
Potatoes: Any waxy potato will work in this recipe. Red and yellow baby potatoes are great. If you're going for a full size potato, look for Yukon Golds.
Eggs: Cook them to your preference, or omit them.
Green beans: Ideally, you want to buy Haricot Verts (French green beans) for this recipe. If you can't find those, any string bean will do.
Lettuce: Choose a soft Butterhead lettuce like Bibb, Boston or Buttercrunch.
Radishes: If you don't like the peppery bite of radishes, you can leave them out.
Cucumber: These are not a traditional ingredient. Omit them if you want to.
Tomatoes: Literally any tomato that you enjoy raw eating will work in this recipe. Cherry and grape tomatoes look really pretty, but you could chop up a larger tomato instead.
Red onion: If you do not like raw onions, try soaking them in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Rinse them under cold water, and you'll find that they have less "bite". Or substitute a shallot, or omit it all together.
Olives: Nicoise olives are hard to find here, so I usually use Kalamata or pimento-stuffed Manzanilla olives.
Tuna: I highly recommend using tuna packed in oil for this recipe, as it has more moisture and flavour than tuna packed in water. Or you could use flaked cooked salmon instead.
Tip: The leftover dressing is pretty great on potato salad too!