SALAD NICOISE

serves 6 generously

What You Need

For the Salad:
500g of swordfish or moonfish steaks (get your fishmonger to slice them as thin as he can)
200g of snow peas, de-stringed if necessary, blanched and then cut diagonally
200g of fine green beans, blanched and then cut diagonally
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
50g of black olives
300g of cherry tomatoes (either red or yellow)
150g of baby spinach
50g of fresh basil
50g of flat-leaved parsley
1 tin of anchovies
4–6 quail eggs, hard boiled (optional)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

For the Dressing:
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon of seed mustard
1–2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of chopped chives
Coarse-ground black pepper to taste
Maldon sea salt to taste

Here’s How

Heat a heavy frying pan or a tepenyaki grill to very hot. Add the olive oil and sear the pieces of swordfish, allowing them to sit in the pan until they brown – being careful not to disturb their connection with the hot skillet. Do only a few at a time, replacing the oil if necessary. Then turn over and cook quickly on the other side so that both sides become crisp. Remove from the heat and drain well on paper towels. (You can also cook them on a baking sheet under the grill. It takes about 5 minutes for each side.)

Mix together the fresh vegetables with the blanched vegetables in a bowl. Add the olives and anchovies. Place the dressing ingredients in a closed jar and shake. Pour over the salad and toss. Then layer your swordfish slices with salad, decorate with quail eggs in their shells and serve.

The run-of-the-mill Salad Nicoise turns me off completely. Most of what is served in its name tastes like day-old tuna and limp vegetables in a gooey sauce. This recipe is completely different. It uses fresh swordfish or moonfish instead of tuna – sliced almost paper thin and seared or grilled. Then you take crunchy vegetables and create double-decker sandwiches, using the slices of fish as the ‘container’. The result makes a visually pleasing, light and surprising meal. You can make it as an appetizer or make more and serve it as a main course with a light, ultra-chilled white wine.