The definition of a classic Niçoise salad is often contested, especially now that it is so popular at cafés and restaurants. It is, however, essentially a country salad, so the ingredients depend on what is in season. The basics of this rough country salad are lettuce, hard cooked eggs, anchovy fillets, black olives, tomatoes, and garlic in the dressing. Most people add tuna, too, but you can consider it optional. Among the myriad other possible additions are cooked green beans, potatoes, and artichoke hearts, raw or roasted bell pepper, capers, and basil.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　6 cups torn assorted lettuces and other salad greens

　　2 hard-cooked eggs (page 338), sliced

　　1 cup good-quality black olives, preferably oil-cured

　　3 ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into quarters or eighths

　　6 anchovy fillets

　　One or two 6-ounce cans tuna, preferably packed in olive oil, or grilled fresh tuna, cut into chunks, optional

　　2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, plus a little more if needed

　　About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 small shallot, minced

　　1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

　　

Step 1

Arrange all the salad ingredients nicely on a platter—greens on the bottom, topped with egg slices, olives, tomatoes, anchovies, and tuna, if using. Or—less attractive but easier to serve—toss all the ingredients together.

　　

Step 2

Make the vinaigrette by adding the vinegar to the oil, along with the salt and pepper, garlic, shallot, and mustard. Stir and taste. Add more vinegar if necessary and adjust the seasoning. Stir or shake vigorously, pour over the salad, and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.