Salade Nicoise

Method

1. Place the halved potatoes in a pot of cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until a knife slides in easily, then drain and set aside.

2. Bring a second pot of salted water to a boil and cook the green beans for 3 minutes until bright green and just tender, then plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their color.

3. To make jammy eggs, lower the eggs into boiling water and cook for exactly 8 minutes, then transfer to ice water, peel, and halve them.

4. Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, minced shallot, and a pinch of salt and pepper until it thickens slightly and emulsifies into a smooth dressing.

5. Emulsifying simply means whisking the oil and vinegar together vigorously so they blend into a unified dressing rather than separating.

6. Toss the warm potatoes with 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette so they absorb the flavor while still warm.

7. Arrange the lettuce leaves over a large platter or individual plates as a bed for the salad.

8. Compose the salad by arranging separate mounds of potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, tuna, olives, and halved eggs over the lettuce rather than tossing everything together.

9. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette generously over the whole platter.

10. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper.

11. Serve immediately at room temperature, letting each person take a bit of everything.

Cooking times vary by equipment -- cook to temperature and to taste.