Nicoise Salad Sandwich

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large saucepan for eggs
• •Medium pot for blanching beans
• •Small whisk for vinaigrette
• •Serrated bread knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the eggs

   Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by one inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. The moment the water reaches a rolling boil, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for exactly ten minutes. Transfer eggs to ice water and let cool completely. This timing gives you a yolk that is just set with a golden center, not chalky or gray.

   Older eggs peel more cleanly. If your eggs are farm-fresh, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the cooking water.
2. 2

   Blanch the green beans

   Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil. Trim the stem ends from your haricots verts. Drop the beans into the boiling water and cook until they are bright green and just tender, two to three minutes. They should still have some snap. Drain and plunge immediately into ice water to stop the cooking. This preserves their color and their aliveness. Drain well and pat dry.

3. 3

   Make the anchovy vinaigrette

   In a small bowl, mash the minced anchovies with the garlic and a pinch of salt until you have a rough paste. Whisk in the red wine vinegar and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Taste. The anchovies provide salt and depth, so you may not need more. Set aside.

   Good anchovies are crucial here. Look for those packed in olive oil in glass jars. They should smell like the sea, not fishy or sharp.
4. 4

   Prepare the bread

   Slice the baguette in half lengthwise or split the ciabatta rolls. Pull out some of the soft interior crumb to create a shallow trough for the filling. This is not waste. Toast the crumbs for another use. Brush the cut surfaces generously with some of the anchovy vinaigrette, letting the bread absorb the flavors.

5. 5

   Assemble the filling

   Flake the drained tuna into a bowl, keeping it in large, rustic pieces. Add the blanched green beans, halved tomatoes, olives, sliced onion, and capers. Drizzle with half of the remaining vinaigrette and toss gently. You want the ingredients to hold their shape, not become a salad. Season with pepper. Taste before adding salt, as the anchovies and olives bring plenty.

6. 6

   Layer the sandwich

   Peel the eggs and slice them into rounds. Arrange the tuna mixture on the bottom half of the bread. Lay the egg slices over the top, slightly overlapping. Scatter the basil leaves across. Drizzle with the last of the vinaigrette. Press the top half of the bread firmly onto the filling.

   Pressing is essential. In Nice, they weight these sandwiches for an hour so everything melds. The bread softens, the juices mingle, and it becomes something greater than its parts.
7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Wrap the assembled sandwich tightly in parchment or wax paper. Let it rest at room temperature for at least fifteen minutes, or refrigerate for up to four hours. The resting allows the vinaigrette to soak into the bread and the flavors to marry. Slice into portions and serve. This sandwich improves as it waits, which makes it perfect for packing and taking somewhere beautiful.

Chef Tips

• •The best tomatoes for this sandwich are small, ripe, and dense. Cherry tomatoes hold up better than slicing tomatoes, which can make the bread soggy. In winter, skip them entirely and add more olives instead.
• •Seek out true niçoise olives if you can find them. They are small, dark, and slightly bitter, grown in the hills above Nice. Kalamata works beautifully as an alternative.
• •Wrap the sandwich tightly and weight it with a cast iron pan or heavy books for an hour before serving. This compression is traditional and transforms the texture entirely.
• •A splash of good rosé from Provence alongside this sandwich is not optional. It is heritage.

Advance Preparation

• •The vinaigrette keeps refrigerated for up to one week. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using.
• •Eggs and green beans can be prepared up to two days ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator.
• •The assembled sandwich improves with resting and can be made up to four hours before serving. Keep it wrapped and refrigerated, then bring to room temperature for thirty minutes before eating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 320g)