La (Vraie) Salade Niçoise
or "The Real Salade Niçoise"

From Flavors of the Riviera: Discovering Real Mediterranean Cooking, Colman Andrews

• 10 medium-sized firm tomatoes, quartered salt
• 12 anchovy fillets or 2 6-ounce cans best-quality olive-oil packed canned tuna
• 1/2 pound shelled baby fava beans (about 1 pound unshelled)* 12 baby artichokes*
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 green bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, very thinly sliced 6 small onions, very thinly sliced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
• 3-1/2 ounces Niçoise olives
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• basil leaves, finely chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper

Place the tomatoes on a platter and lightly salt them. If using anchovies, cut each fillet into three or four pieces; if using tuna, shred it coarsely. If using favas, blanch beans in boiling water for 30 seconds, then drain and rinse well in cold water. Slip beans out of their skins by grasping each one by its grooved end and squeezing gently so that it pops out. If using artichokes, cut stems off, pull off tough outer leaves by hand, and trim a few more layers of leaves with a sharp knife. Scoop out the chokes and cut artichokes into thin slices. Rub bottom and sides of a large salad bowl with garlic pieces, then discard. Arrange anchovies or tuna, favas and/or artichokes (or neither), cucumber, green pepper, onion, eggs, and olives in the bowl. Drain the tomatoes, salt them again, and add them as well. Make a dressing with olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate both salad and dressing for about 1 hour before serving, then drizzle dressing
over salad and serve. Serves 6.

* Medecin (author of the definitive book on Niçoise cooking, La Cuisine du comte de Nice) allows that, if the season allows, both favas and artichokes may be used -- but that it is also permissible to use one or the other or neither.