Salade niçoise

Tuna, hard-boiled egg, black olives, anchovies and tomatoes make a composed plate with real staying power, and the version most people know adds boiled new potatoes and green beans, which turn it into a full dinner. Purists in Nice reject the cooked vegetables, and some insist on tuna or anchovies, never both; outside the city the heartier version is the norm. Good tuna jarred in olive oil suits it better on a weeknight than seared fresh steak. Allow about forty minutes, mostly for potatoes, beans and eggs that can all boil at once. A plain mustard and red wine vinegar dressing suits it, and because the components sit side by side rather than tossed, it holds up well in a lunchbox.