I was inspired to make a Salade Niçoise, but with more cooked elements, and enough substance that it would eat like a meal. Roasting the potatoes until crunchy and golden is a clutch move, especially since we all *know* that the superior food texture is crispy-gone-soggy. This hits all the notes, with the rich and delicious roasted rainbow trout, juicy Kalamata olives, sweet and mellow shallots, and marinated watermelon radish – note that it is sliced very thinly and folded for extravagant beauty (think pink ruffles!). I’m sorry, but if you don’t want to dive face first into this, I am not sure we’d get along.
This salad is admittedly a labour of love, just because there are so many elements to tinker with, but most of it can be done ahead of time if you want to assemble the whole thing right before serving. Day old leftovers of this are also delish (but if you’re planning on doing that, dress the individual portions with vinaigrette instead of the whole salad).
Roasted Potato Salade Niçoise
Ingredients
- 1½ lb. / 680g baby golden potatoes
- ghee or expeller-pressed coconut oil melted
- fine sea salt and pepper to taste
- 425 g rainbow trout
- 5 or 6 lemon slices
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 watermelon radish
- 1 shallot
- freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup / 125g Kalamata olives with pits
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 eggs preferably organic
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup / 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. minced shallot
- 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. honey
- ½ tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
Directions
- Scrub the potatoes and boil in salted water for about 10 minutes until tender. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Drain, cut in half, and place on a lined baking sheet with salt and pepper. Toss with melted fat of choice, and place cut-side down on the baking sheet. Place the potatoes in the oven. Set a timer for 45 minutes.
- While the potatoes are roasting, place the fish on a parchment-lined baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper, then place a few lemon slices on top. Place in the oven and cook for the last 15-20 minutes of the potatoes roasting, until cooked through and tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add the eggs, and cook for exactly 6 ½ minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and submerge eggs in cold water (add ice if desired).
- While the eggs are boiling, whisk the dressing ingredients together. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the watermelon radish on a mandolin and toss immediately with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
- Thinly slice the shallots and toss with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Massage a little to soften. Set aside.
- Toss the olives (drained) in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Set aside.
- Wash romaine well and spin dry. Chop about half the lettuce into bitesized pieces, but keep the other half of the leaves whole/ intact. Place in a large salad bowl or on a serving platter.
- To assemble, roughly break the fish up with a fork and place on top of the prepared lettuce. Peel the eggs and cut in half, place in the bowl. Add the crispy potatoes, watermelon radish, shallots, and olives. Drizzle the desired amount of dressing over top. Garnish with salt and freshly-cracked black pepper. Say thank you and enjoy!
Notes
