In Nice, the populous city in the French Riviera where this salad originated, the earliest recipe consisted simply of anchovies, tomatoes and olive oil. It was well into the 20th century that the version we know – adding cooked potatoes, blanched green beans and hard-boiled egg and replacing the anchovies with tuna – became the norm.
But purists have continued to debate the addition of those cooked potatoes, not to mention the beans, and even dispute the kind of tuna used. If adding these ingredients makes the niçoise less traditional, it also makes it more delicious.
Tre Rivali’s version follows the common composed presentation with the ingredients piled alongside each other. The briny capers, pungent niçoise olives and bright wedges of lemon meld, and the warm cooked potatoes soften into the cool cherry tomatoes, flaky tuna poached in olive oil and creamy corona beans. The perfect refreshing, satisfying summer lunch.
