James Martin's summer salade niçoise

It’s a classic summer salad and James Martin wants to help us master it. It was the most ordered dish when he first became head chef, so James has made a few salade niçoises in his time!

Here’s his masterclass in making the perfect summer salad complete with French dressing and soft-boiled eggs.

Salade niçoise with tuna

Serves: 4 - 6

Ingredients

Half a loaf of sourdough, cubed

Oil, to fry

6 eggs, soft boiled

For the fish

4 x 200g portions tuna loin

25ml olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the dressing

1tbsp water

1tbsp Dijon mustard

75ml veg oil

75ml extra virgin olive oil

50ml white wine vinegar

1 lemon, juice only

1 clove garlic, made into a paste with a little salt

2 butterhead lettuces

1 red chicory

200g green beans, blanched

50g olives

6 anchovies

100g new potatoes, cooked and halved

100g cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Method

• Using a large non stick pan, fry the sourdough in chunks until golden to make the croutons. Remove from the pan and pop to the side.

• Get a large saucepan of water onto a roiling boil, add the eggs and cook for 6 minutes. Shock the eggs in cold water and remove the shell taking care to not break the egg .

• Heat a non stick fry pan until hot oil and season the tuna and cook on 1 side for 1 minute flip over and cook for 1 minute , slice

• To make the dressing, put all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together. Season, and it is ready to serve.

• To serve, arrange all leaves on a platter, top with green beans, olives, anchovies potatoes and tomatoes. Sprinkle with croutons, cut the eggs cleanly in half and nestle into the salad. To finish, spoon over the dressing and dot the tuna around.