Tomato salad, part two: A recipe

A vinaigrette for tomatoes and lots more

Bonjour! Bonjour!

It's Friday and so it's a NIBLETS day.

I couldn’t stop thinking about those Parisian tomato salads with anchovies that I wrote about earlier this week. I loved them so much. And I liked that the dressing – the anchovy vinaigrette – reminded me of another terrific sauce: Provençal Anchoiade, used primarily for dipping vegetables (I’ve got a recipe for it in Around My French Table). This vinaigrette is milder – a little lighter on the anchovies, a little softer on the garlic and bit sprightlier because of the lemon.

I made it for a tomato salad, but it’s equally good over vegetables, particularly potatoes and cauliflower, and so good with hard-boiled eggs. If you’d like to, make a double batch: season half for the salad and then store the “extra” infused oil – without the lemon juice – in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature and then add the zest, juice, salt and pepper when you’re ready to use it.

ANCHOVY VINAIGRETTE

Makes about 1/2 cup

• 5 to 8 flat anchovies (it’s a to-taste thing) packed in olive oil (there are usually 8 in a 2-ounce tin), drained and coarsely chopped

• 1 to 3 small garlic cloves (the number’s up to you), peeled, halved, germ removed

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil

• 1 lemon

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Working in a (mini) food processor or blender (stand or handheld), or using a mortar and pestle, whir, or pound and grind, the anchovies and garlic into a paste, dribbling in a little of the olive oil to keep things moving. You can also finely mince the anchovies and garlic and then use the back of a chef's knife to mash and scrape them into a paste (adding a little salt helps with this). If you’ve made the paste by hand, transfer it to medium bowl.

With the processor or blender going, add the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream, working until you have a smooth dressing. If the paste is in a mortar or a bowl, drizzle in the oil, using a whisk to blend. If necessary, scrape into a bowl and cover until needed. (If you’re storing it in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature before finishing it.)

Right before you’re ready to use the dressing, grate the lemon's zest into the mixture – or, for more texture, coarsely chop the zest and stir it in – squeeze in the juice from half the lemon and whisk to blend. Taste. Season with salt – even though anchovies are famously salty, you’re bound to want salt – and pepper. Taste again – my guess is that you’re going to want more lemon juice, and perhaps more salt or pepper.

FOR A TOMATO SALAD

You don’t really need me for this, but I want to chime in with a few thoughts - not that I didn’t have a bunch of thoughts on tomatoes in xoxoDORIE earlier this week ...

If you have a variety of tomatoes, use them: A mix of colors is always a good idea.

Cut the tomatoes in different ways: Mix together chunks and slices and toss in some cherry- or grape-tomato halves.

Channel the Niçoise: Tomatoes and anchovies are the big flavors in a classic salade Niçoise. Since you’re almost half-way there, think about adding olives to the salad (black would be traditional and green would be pretty) and maybe some chopped hard-boiled eggs. Moi? I like to add thin slices of spring onion (if they’re quick-pickled, so much the better) and often add bits of preserved lemon (citron confit), if I’ve got it.

Go heavy on the herbs: Basil and parsley are naturals with the tomato-anchovy mix, but dill is good too.

Go light on the vinaigrette: Start with a glistening and then add more as you toss.

Happy weekend! I’ll see you again on Tuesday - xoxo Dorie

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