Make a Great Salad Nicoise

Here's a run down about how to make a wonderful, classic salad nicoise. Enjoy.

How To Go About Making A Salad Nicoise

A Salad Nicoise is more commonly referred to as a Nicoise Salad with the Nicoise being pronounced as "ni-suaz". This particular salad originates from the Nice region of France and consists of a number of different ingredients the details of which we provide below. However there are some restaurants which although offer a Salad Nicoise it is not what would be considered to be the classic version. Often they will include rice, potatoes, pasta, cheese or cooked vegetables into their recipe.

But the real beauty of this salad is that not only is relatively easy to prepare and make but the way in which the ingredients are presented. Not only does it contain lots of color and texture but it is full of flavors which combine well together. Below we list the ingredients as well as provide step by step instructions so that you can have a go at making this particular salad for yourself.

So that you can make this salad for four people you will need to get the following ingredients together:- 1. 10 ripe and large tomatoes 2. A clove of garlic 3. A large cucumber 4. A green and red pepper 5. 6 spring (green) onions 6. Anchovy Fillets (12) which have been kept in olive oil 7. 1/2 Cup (4.5 ounces) of black olives 8. 4 eggs which need to be hard boiled 9. 1/3 cup (3 fluid ounces) of extra virgin olive oil 10. 1 tbspn (15ml) of red wine vinegar 11. Juice from a lemon (These last three ingredients will be used to make the dressing for the salad) 12. Salad Leaves (a number of different varieties such as cos, arugula or rocket are ideal) as well as a good handful of fresh basil. After getting all the ingredients together you now need to start preparing and making your salad. Follow our step by step guide to try making this great tasting salad for yourself.

Step 1 - First get the ten tomatoes and cut these each into six pieces. Place on a dish and sprinkle with a little salt and allow them to stand for about 30 minutes in order that the juice in them can drain out. As you start to prepare the tomatoes you can put the eggs onto boil. In order to produce really good hard boiled eggs it is best if you allow them to stay in the water for around 5 minutes.

Step 2 - Now take the cucumber and cut this in half along the entire length of it. Once cut in half you now need to scoop out as many of the seeds inside then you can slice up the cucumber. However you should not either peel the cucumber of slice it too thinly. Then after preparing the cucumber you can move on to preparing the peppers and the spring onions. Both of the peppers and spring onions should be very thinly sliced.

Step 3 - Take the garlic clove remove the outer layer and then cut this in half and rub them around the inside of your salad bowl. If you are able to use a wooden bowl for placing the salad in.

Step 4 - As soon as you are ready to serve the salad, take your salad leave and lay these over the base of the bowl. The tomatoes that you left to drain can now be used and laid on top of the leaves along with the hard boiled eggs, which have been cut, into quarters. Then onto this, you need to place the peppers, spring onions and cucumber, as well as the anchovy fillets, which should have been drained. Then over the top, you scatter the olives.

Step 5 - The final thing you need to do before you can serve the Salad Nicoise to family or guests is make the dressing. In order to do this you take the lemon juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar and place in a bowl or jar before adding a small amount of freshly ground black pepper and salt to season. Once all the ingredients are together mix until well combined and then very slowly drizzle it over the salad. Finally take the fresh basil leaves and tear them up into pieces and sprinkle over the top of the salad. It really is that simple to make a great tasting Nicoise Salad.

At SaladFacts.com we provide information and advice on everything to do with salads. However, if you would like to learn more about making great dressings for your own salads click on the link here.

Tags: classic salad, Recipes, salad, salad nicoise

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August 29 2008 | Recipes | No Comments »

What Makes a Good Cutlery Set?

Not all cutlery is the same, by any means. Prices vary all over the map. A knife that costs a lot isn't necessarily one that'll do the best job. And, it's a given that knives which aren't maintained in good condition will be difficult to use, even if they're top of the line. Having the right knives and keeping them in the best possible shape is an important part of running things efficiently and avoiding accidents in the kitchen. We came accross the article below which mentions a number of things to keep in mind when choosing a cutlery set.

The Qualities of Good Cutlery Sets

It seems that everyone is selling cutlery sets, from your friends to infomercial outlets. Some of the knife sets may be perfectly fine, while others are not worth the box they are packed in. To find out if the cutlery sets are all you want them to be, consider a few pointers.

First, the best cutlery sets have a nice variety of knives. A Chef’s knife is very versatile, and can be used for a large variety of tasks, cutting up and slicing just about any type of food. Bread knives with a serrated edge work better at slicing loaves without crushing them. Santoku knives are similar to narrow bladed cleavers, and they are good for chopping, mincing, and slicing. A paring knife is handy for peeling fruits and vegetables. It also can be used to cut fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces. A filet or boning knife is good to have if you cut up whole chickens or fish. Do not forget the steak knives. Most good cutlery sets have 4 to 8 steak knives included.

Second, good cutlery sets will be made with quality construction methods. Stainless steel is the metal of choice for most cutlery sets, with high carbon steel being the best. Full tang blades are nice to have because they are durable and cut smoothly. Full tang just means that the metal that forms the blade continues down through to the end of the handle. Metal rivets are sometimes used to hold the knives together securely. Ergonomic handles are preferable, especially if you spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

Finally, consider the knife accessories that come with the cutlery sets. Kitchen shears come in handy not only for opening bags and containers, but also for cutting foods. Most cutlery sets will come with either a knife storage block or individual knife covers. While some knives are made to hold a constant edge, others need routine sharpening maintenance. Having a good sharpening steel for these sets is a good idea to keep the knives sharp between professional sharpenings.

When you have found good quality cutlery sets for your kitchen, you will be ready to handle any recipe. Your food will look better, and in some cases, even taste better. What is more, slicing, chopping and dicing will be a joy instead of drudgery. Look for the best cutlery sets, and you will be happy with your choice.

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Tags: blades, boning knife, bread knives, Cutlery, cutlery sets, knife, knives, paring knife, serrated edge, steak knives

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August 15 2008 | Cutlery | No Comments »