Recipe: Nicoise salad en gelee

Nicoise salad en gelee. Photo / Doug Sherring

Serves 2

In hindsight, I think I got way too tricky with this.

I took the components of a Nicoise Salad, put them in a small mould and set them with a well-flavoured jelly. I think it would have been fresher to stack the Nicoise ingredients into the mould to transport them and up-end them on to the plate to serve.

• 425g tin of chunk-style tuna in spring water, drained
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and cut into small dices
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
• 6 baby tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 10 Kalamata olives
• 6 baby potatoes, peeled and boiled until just tender, then cut into quarters
• 8 green beans, trimmed, blanched and cut into 2cm pieces
• 6 chives
• 2 small moulds that hold about 1½ cups
• A few baby cos leaves
• A little vinaigrette if not setting in jelly

1. Prepare all your ingredients and layer them into the moulds. Do not include the cos leaves as these are for a final garnish. If you want to leave it there, cover with cling-film and keep chilled.

2. If you want to set these in a jelly, spray the moulds with a neutral oil and line with cling-film. Arrange your ingredients into the mould.

3. Warm 1½ cups of chicken stock seasoned with salt and pepper and a tablespoon of grain mustard.

4. Soak two gelatine leaves in cold water, squeeze out and stir into the stock to dissolve. Cool and gently pour the liquid jelly over your ingredients. Place in the refrigerator to set, for around two hours.