A dish from Elizabeth David
David's rigorous Niçoise salad — tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and eggs, with no cooked vegetables in sight.
Serves 4
David was fierce about what did and did not belong in a salade niçoise, and she considered cooked beans, potatoes, and rice to be impertinences. Her version is built from raw summer vegetables, anchovy, and good oil.
Produce
Meat & Poultry
Dairy & Eggs
Oils & Vinegars
Pantry / Durable
Cut the tomatoes into wedges, slice the cucumber, and cut the pepper into thin rings. Keep everything in separate piles as you arrange it.
Layer the vegetables in a wide bowl with the spring onions, olives, and capers.
Lay the anchovy fillets and quartered eggs over the top and scatter with torn basil.
Dress at the table with olive oil and a little vinegar, just enough to gloss the vegetables. Do not toss it into a muddle; let each thing be tasted on its own.
Adapted from French Provincial Cooking. View a published recipe at NYT Cooking (opens in a new tab)
An editor's table · Manhattan, New York
Sunday lunch in Chelsea · Chelsea, London
A table in Provence · Provence, France
A harvest lunch in Wiltshire · Wiltshire, England