Description
Ina Garten’s salmon salad niçoise blends Mediterranean flavors with elegant simplicity. Crisp greens, tender salmon, and classic French ingredients create a refreshing main course perfect for summer gatherings where friends can savor each delightful bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 pounds (2.7 kg) skin-on fresh salmon fillets
- 12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in ½
- 3 pounds (1.4 kg) ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (6 small tomatoes)
- 3 pounds (1.4 kg) small Yukon gold potatoes
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) haricots verts, stems removed
- ½ pound (227 g) large green olives, pitted
- 1 bunch watercress or arugula
- 1 can anchovies, optional
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 lemons, zested and juiced
- ½ cup (120 ml) good olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup (60 ml) champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate: Whisk lemon juice, zest, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper. Coat salmon and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Potato Preparation: Boil salted water, simmer potatoes until barely tender. Drain and slice into thick rounds, allowing steam to evaporate excess moisture.
- Roast Salmon: Position oven rack at 500°F (260°C) with foil-lined sheet pan. Roast salmon for 12-15 minutes until nearly cooked. Rest, then gently break into rustic chunks.
- Vegetable Handling: Quickly blanch haricots verts in salted boiling water for 1½ minutes. Shock in ice bath to preserve color and crispness, then drain completely.
- Vinaigrette Creation: Combine red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly incorporate olive oil to develop a smooth, emulsified dressing.
- Plating Finale: Elegantly arrange roasted salmon, potato rounds, haricots verts, cherry tomatoes, soft-boiled eggs, watercress, olives, and optional anchovies on a large platter. Drizzle with vinaigrette, offering additional dressing separately for personalized taste.
Notes
- Marinade Magic: Let salmon sit at room temperature during marination to absorb maximum flavor and ensure even cooking.
- Potato Perfection: Steam potatoes after boiling to remove excess moisture, creating a drier, more appealing texture for the salad.
- Veggie Vitality: Shock haricots verts in ice water immediately after blanching to lock in bright green color and crisp texture, preventing overcooking.
- Dressing Dynamics: Whisk vinaigrette gradually to create a smooth, well-emulsified sauce that coats ingredients evenly and enhances overall dish flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 495
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 29 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 195 mg