Sardine Niçoise Salad

Ingredients for the Vinaigrette

• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Extra-virgin olive oil reserved from sardines
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the Salad

• 6 oz. fingerling potatoes, scrubbed
• 8 oz. green beans
• 2 medium heads butter lettuce, washed
• 2 tins Sardines in Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (reserve the oil to use in the dressing)
• 2 large, hard-boiled eggs, cut into quarters
• ½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¼ cup black olives, roughly chopped

Putting It All Together

1. Make the vinaigrette: whisk the garlic, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, reserved olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Wash and scrub the potatoes. Put them into a pot with cold salted water, making sure they are well covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are cooked through and can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the water in the pot.
3. Bring the reserved water to a boil. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water (it should be big enough to submerge the green beans). Once the water is boiling, add the green beans. Cook them for 10 to 15 seconds, then remove the beans with a slotted spoon and submerge them in the bowl of ice water. Allow the beans to cool, then remove them from the water and pat them dry.
4. Assemble the salad: Separate the head of lettuce into leaves, toss the leaves in a bowl with half the vinaigrette, and then arrange them on a platter. Gently toss the cooked potatoes and green beans with the other half of the dressing. Top the lettuce with the dressed potatoes and green beans, sardines, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, and salt and pepper to taste.