Anyone who has visited Nice will undoubtedly have tried their famous salade niçoise, which is offered in practically every bistro in the city. Its original recipe is the cause of great controversy among French chefs and amateurs, so it’s worth knowing the mandatory, prohibited and permitted ingredients of this salad.
As is the case with so many classic recipes, the Nice salad originally has humble origins. It was simply a cold dish with the most common products available to fishermen, and so, its base is simply tomato, salted anchovy and extra virgin olive oil. The recipe evolved over time, and some ingredients that were incorporated did not have general consensus. That’s why this post doesn’t follow the usual structure: it’s necessary above all to dispel doubts about the three categories of ingredients that we have indicated. Once that’s clear, the salad simply involves washing, cutting, serving and seasoning. Adjust the quantities depending on whether the dish is offered as a starter or light lunch.
Mandatory ingredients:
As already explained, the base of this salad is tomato and salted anchovy, as well as extra virgin olive oil as a dressing.
But today a salade niçoise is unimaginable without tuna. This ingredient was prohibitive in other times, due to its price. However, the traditional strict rule stated that tuna (whether natural or canned) would be used only in the absence of anchovies.
The tasty small Nice olives and hard-boiled eggs are also added to this list, since nowadays they are never lacking. In addition to providing quality flavor and nutrients, both ingredients provide greater variety to the color palette of the dish, which also makes it more attractive.
In the first case, it is a small, dark olive that has a very characteristic flavor. In the absence of them, it would be desirable to use some type that is similar, such as the Taggiasca olive from Liguria.
The case of the hard-boiled egg is an exception, since tradition did not allow ingredients that were not raw, as we will see below.
Prohibited ingredients:
Since the salad prioritizes cooked ingredients, potatoes, rice or green beans are considered inadmissible.
Any type of cheese is not allowed either. The protein contribution is given exclusively by fish and eggs.
Finally, the dressing should be simple, in order to give prominence to both the flavors and the colors of the dish. For this reason, many French people will consider it sacrilegious to add mayonnaise, mustard or any type of sauce.
Permitted ingredients:
It’s quite common to complete the salad with a bit of celery stalks, radishes, and green peppers. In addition, the salad is usually served over some of mesclún, that is, different young green leaves.
Less common, but still accepted, are broad beans, onions, cucumbers and even artichokes.
As for the dressing, in addition to the extra virgin olive oil, it’s reasonable to add salt and pepper, and eventually a little wine vinegar. And as a final touch, some basil leaves, cut by hand, can be enough to round off an exquisite salad.