Serves 6 to 8
For French potato salad:
1 pound boiling potatoes (4 to 5 medium)
2 tablespoons dry white wine (or 1 tablespoon dry white vermouth and 1 tablespoon stock or canned bouillon)
1 tablespoon wine vinegar (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice)
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil or salad oil
Pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon minced shallots or green onions (optional)
Forsauce vinaigrette:
1 to 4 tablespoons wine vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (optional)
3/4 cup salad oil or olive oil
2 big pinches of pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons minced green herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon, basil; or pinch of dried herbs (optional)
For salad:
3 cups cold, blanched green beans
3 or 4 quartered tomatoes
1 head Boston lettuce, separated, washed, drained, and dried
1 cup canned tuna chunks, drained
1/2 cup pitted black olives, preferably the dry Mediterranean type
2 or 3 hard-boiled eggs, cold, peeled and quartered
6 to 12 canned anchovy filets, drained
2 to 3 tablespoons minced, fresh green herbs
To make potato salad: Scrub potatoes. Drop them into boiling salted water to cover and boil until potatoes are just tender when pierced with a small knife. Drain. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into slices about 1/8 inch thick. Place them in a mixing bowl.
Pour wine over warm potato slices and toss very gently. Set aside for a few minutes until potatoes have absorbed the liquid.
Beat vinegar, mustard and salt in small bowl until salt has dissolved. Then beat in the oil by droplets. Season to taste and stir in shallots or onions, if using. Pour dressing over potatoes and toss gently to blend.
To make vinaigrette: Either beat vinegar or lemon juice in a bowl with salt and optional mustard until salt is dissolved, then beat in oil by droplets and season with pepper; or place all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously for 30 seconds to blend thoroughly.
Stir in optional herbs and correct seasoning just before dressing the salad.
To make salad: Just before serving, season beans and tomatoes with several spoonfuls of vinaigrette. Toss lettuce leaves in a salad bowl with 1/4 cup vinaigrette and place leaves around edge of bowl. Arrange potatoes on bottom of bowl. Decorate with beans and tomatoes, interspersing them with a design of tuna chunks, olives, eggs and anchovies. Pour more dressing over salad. Sprinkle with herbs and serve.
© HWS, 2004