niçoise ~adjacent~ salad
Salads!! I freakin’ love ‘em. Something about a bunch of delicious veg n’ fruit and other good stuff all drowning in a delicious dressing just gets me going, what else can I say!!
This is a very bastardized version of a Niçoise salad. Similar ingredients but not at all a classic example of it. I would say inspired by, not my version of. I used crispy skinned chicken thighs here because I am not a huge fan of canned tuna and I have an addiction to chicken thighs cooked this way (shout out to Samin Nosrat for this method of cooking the chicken. It’s in her book salt, fat, acid, heat. If you don’t already have it, it’s a staple and filled with a ton of fun cooking knowledge and delicious recipes that can be a base for an infinite number of tasty creations.)
This salad is best in the spring/summer when most of the produce used is in season (@summer tomatoes I’m talkin’ ‘bout you) but of course you can make it and find everything for it year round. hence why i am sending this recipe out in the fall. I make a honey mustard vinaigrette for this instead of the classic red wine vinegar and olive oil drizzle because honey mustard and crispy chicken is a just a match made in heaven IMO (which stands for ‘in my opinion’ for all the boomers out there readin’ this. luv ya’ll)
Let’s get into it.
ingredients
serves 2 but can easily be doubled, trippled, quadrupled, etc.
for the salad
2 bone in skin on chicken thighs, remove the bones with a pairing knife, leaving the skin on
2, small to medium, yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1-2 inch cubes. alternatively use 6-8 baby yukon potatoes cut in half.
~3 ounces green beans, which is about a small fistful if you don’t want to measure.
~ 3 ounces cherry tomatoes, again this is about a handful
2 loose cups baby butter lettuce, this is about 1 handful per person. you can also use a spring mix or your favorite lettuce here. although I would stere clear of iceberg or romaine because they are both a bit too watery for this salad.
2 eggs
1/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
1/4 cup basil, roughly chopped
1/4 cup mint, roughly chopped
for the honey mustard vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tabelspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste if needed
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
instructions
once the bone is removed, salt both sides of the chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon of salt per thigh and set aside to let the salt do its thing at room temp for about 30 minutes.
make the dressing: just add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a bowl and whisk until thoroughly mixed. taste and add a but more salt or a tad more honey if needed. we like dressings to be FLAVORFUL, once they are added to the salad it will almost dilute the flavor because its spread thin over everything. so don’t be afraid of a punchy, sweet, and salty dressing.
get to preppin: set a medium pot of water on to boil and season with a lot of salt (6-8 tablespoons). also preheat the oven to 425 Fahrenheit.
toss the potatoes in some olive oil and about 1/2 teaspoon salt and place on a baking sheet cut side down. bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the underside is dark golden brown and crisp and the flesh is tender and creamy.
once the salted water is boiling turn it down to a simmer and toss the green beans in to blanch them. let them cook for 2 minutes, until they are bright green and semi cooked but still crisp. use a mesh sieve to remove them and place on a paper towel lined plate to cool.
to the same simmering water, gently place the 2 eggs and cook until soft boiled. 6 minutes is always perfect for me. 7-8 minutes if you like a less runny yolk. once the 6 minutes is up, use that same mesh sieve and remove the eggs and place immediately in an ice bath (bowl of ice and water) for about 2 minutes. peel the eggs and set aside.
for the chicken: place the thighs skin side down in a cold skillet. set the skillet over medium heat and let it cook undisturbed until the skin has turned a deep golden brown and crisped up and the chicken starts to become white and cooked on the edges. about 9-10 minutes. flip the thighs and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit. let rest for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest.
(no need to preheat the pan or add any oil for this method of cooking because starting the chicken skin side down, which is the fattier side, in a cold skillet will help to draw out and render the fat into the pan as it heats. it basically cooks in its own fat this way which is beautiful IMO)assemble the salad! i do it in the 2 bowls i am serving it in but feel free to do it all in 1 and then split and serve it. add half the lettuce to each bowl and top each salad with half of the green beans, crispy potatoes, tomatoes, and herbs. slice the soft boil eggs in half and split between the 2 salads. use a sharp knife to slice the crispy chicken thighs and split between the 2 salads. drizzle the dressing over both salads and serve!
