My Tuna Niçoise. The story of the Niçoise salad is almost as complicated as the story of Nice. Situated close to the border, Nice is named after the Greek goddess Nike and was part of Italy before being ceded to the French Second Empire in 1860. Known as Nice la Belle or ‘the beautiful’, it is a melting pot of French and Italian history, culture and food.
French Cooking
Smoked Haddock and Poached Egg with Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, and a Beurre Blanc
Smoked Haddock and poached Egg with Asparagus, Sugar Snap Peas, and a Beurre Blanc. There is a certain class of genteel English hotel where they serve an assortment of dishes alongside the usual offering of a full English and a Continental offer. Maybe a bowl of kedgeree, a Manx kipper or a perfect poached egg and smoked haddock. This nutritious yet tasty dish can easily be elevated to a stunning lunch or supper dish. Perfect for spring with some sautéed seasonal vegetables and a simple beurre blanc or butter sauce.
My Pan Bagnat is so Nice
History has it a version of Pan Bagnat was made in as early as the sixteenth century for hungry fishermen by their wives. They scooped out the centre of day-old bread packed it full of whatever was at hand and wrapped them in cloth. As a peasant dish the recipe was not likely to have contained tuna which would have been a much later addition. The whole thing is made in advance to allow all the flavours to soak into the bread.
Ooh la la my take on a delicious French classic – Salade Parisienne
Salade Parisienne is a French bistro classic, the kind of dish you will find in little family-owned zinc bars and cafés. It relies on fresh ingredients simple prepared and served without a lot of fuss. Salade Parisienne is technically known as a salade composée this means it is arranged in bowl rather than all the ingredients tossed together. It usually consists of lettuce, boiled egg, potatoes, diced ham, and cheese dressed in a light mustard vinaigrette.