Nicoise Salad Recipe
Nicoise Salad Photo: Jackie Cameron
“Nicoise salad is a traditional favourite. It’s gone out of fashion because it was over done and made without love. Make this salad with care otherwise it can go horribly wrong. Tuna, salty anchovies, perfectly-boiled new potatoes, boiled chicken/quail eggs, local olives, tomatoes and crunchy green beans - with or without croutons - promise a flavoursome explosion. We owe gratitude to the foodies/chefs of yesteryear whose experimentations have given us everlasting culinary masterpieces such as this one.”
Nicoise Salad Recipe
Salad
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients:
125ml low-fat yoghurt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 Tablespoon light soya sauce
4 single (640g) skinless chicken breast fillets
Lentil Salad
Ingredients:
1 medium (200g) red pepper
1 medium(200g) yellow pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup(200g) brown lentils
1 litre water
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/3 cup (80ml) red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sweetener
½ teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh coriander
20g fresh rocket leaves
Salt and pepper
Method:
Combine yoghurt, black pepper, garlic, basil, turmeric and soya sauce. Pour over the chicken breasts and marinate covered in the fridge for 1 hour.
In a non-stick pan, sear the chicken with colour. Finish cooking in the oven.
For the lentil salad, rub the peppers with tablespoon of olive oil, grill in the oven until the skins burn. Then place into a bowl and tightly cover with plastic wrap. Leave these to sweat until cooled.
Once the peppers are cooled, the skin will peel off, remove the seeds and roughly chop the peppers.
Combine lentils and peppers in a bowl.
Mix vinegar, sweetener and oil together.
Pour the vinegar dressing over the lentil salad and mix in the coriander and seasoning.
Plate lentil salad on a bed of rocket and top with thin slices of the chicken.
Please post your comments and any food-related questions below. I look forward to hearing from you.