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Composed Salad - Salad Nicoise

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  • Difficulty: easy
  • Video Length: 22:34
  • Course: Sauces and Salads WTF?

Salad Nicoise is the most notable example of the composed salad - that is, a salad where the ingredients are artfully arranged instead of simply tossed together. For your Nicoise, you'll use eggs, green beans, tuna and red onions - finished with a light vinaigrette. The green beans should be blanched until tender. Afterward, add them to an ice bath - and don't forget to salt it to preserve flavor. Additionally, sear your tuna for added drama. Slice onions thin and cut eggs in rounds or wedges. Arrange perfectly and you're finished.

Spike Mendelsohn (Season 4)

Spike works as the chef de cuisine at Tribeca's new hotspot restaurant, Mai House, owned by the renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent. Mai House was named as one of the New York Times' top ten best new restaurants of 2007. Born in Montreal, Canada and trained in classic French cuisine in restaurants around the world. Spike has worked with Gerard Boyer at Les Crayeres, Thomas Keller at Bouchon and The Maccioni Family at Le Cirque. Spike believes in learning the basics to become the best. His latest venture is opening a new chain, Good Stuff Eatery, with his family (first location opening in Washington D.C. later this year) The new restaurant features his weaknesses -- hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and milkshakes.