The photo above shows my Nicoise Salad tossed together. The photo below shows the way Julia Child presents Nicoise Salad in her many books- as a composed salad. I prepare all the ingredients separately and arrange them individually on a platter. When I prepare this salad for “just us”, I toss it altogether; but for guests, I separate all the components so that they have the opportunity to choose what they like.
I’ve noticed for awhile that many restaurants serve this salad with fresh rare tuna lying on top of the other ingredients. My personal preference is to use canned dark Italian tuna packed in oil like “Julia” did.
I urge you to serve this salad at room temperature and let the flavors really shine. Plastic wrapped, ice cold bowls of salad taken from the fridge just don’t do it justice. You can prepare all the elements of this salad a day in advance. The next day, remove them from the fridge, arrange the platter and let the salad come to room temperature before serving. Trust me, it makes a big difference. Serve Balsamic Vinaigrette or Lemon Vinaigrette on the side.
Note: Slice the eggs right before adding them to the platter.
Prep time: 30 minutes
