The mixed salad from the south of France: Nicoise

There salade nicoise – as it is called by the French – is a colorful and tasty dish typical of Nice and in general of the French Riviera and Provence (but by extension it is also prepared on the Ligurian coast). You will probably have tasted it at the end of a morning on the beach or in a quick break in your day, especially if you have been on holiday in the wonderful South of France, and have thought about the difference compared to the salads consumed here. Nizzarda is in fact a salad that is only aesthetically similar to the many bar salads that are hastily prepared for lunch breaks during the day at the office, but in reality very careful and different in the choice of ingredients.

What is Nicoise salad made with? It's about a typically summer single dish based on lettuce, raw seasonal vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and tuna in oil. Among the vegetables, peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, salted anchovies are usually used and only extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper are used for the seasoning, while the use of vinegar is not foreseen. There is a very common variant which involves the use of green beans and boiled potatoes instead of peppers but in this case it is a widespread reworking in Liguria (where the dish is called condolence) and in other countries where this salad is consumed, which however in the original French version only involves the use of raw vegetables.

Nizzarda is a mixed salad that is apparently very simple but requires some care to be truly special and tasty and to respect the original recipe despite the reworkings due to its international diffusion. First of all it is essential that the ingredients are of best quality chosen among best local products available: therefore a ban on cheap products both for tuna and vegetables. The eggs must then be cooked and cut to perfection, preferably into wedges rather than rounds to prevent them from crumbling. Another typical feature consists of do not mix the ingredients but simply placing them next to each other, allowing them to blend together naturally or according to the specific tastes of those consuming the dish. In full compliance with the French recipe then - as we have said - it is necessary avoid using vinegar.

In the 'Gusto.' menu, in addition to Ceasar salad, octopus and potatoes, calamari salad, caprese and ham and mozzarella, you will also find an excellent Nicoise, permanently present in our offer. Prepared according to all the rules of the tradition of the South of France from which it originates, theNiçoise salad it is also excellent as a single dish for a tasty and nutritious but also light meal.