What strikes me when reading through internet recipes for salade niçoise is the sheer variation of ingredients. Everyone it seems has a preference.
This one prepared by ma conjointe certainly hits the spot. By the time I got around to taking the picture I had already devoured the luscious black olives but still on the plate are the French beans, tomato quarters, potatoes and anchovies. A lovely vinaigrette was served alongside.
Notice too those quarters of hard-boiled egg. Egg features a lot on those internet recipes but not in my go-to source of French Cookery - Louis Saulnier's Le Répertoire de la Cuisine. Saulnier had the famous Auguste Escoffier as his mentor and the Répertoire is a quick reference guide to the master's cookery.
Interestingly, the Répertoire does not include tuna either although many recipes do. One that I have to hand even states that Escoffier - there's Saulnier's mentor again - calls for tunny fish in oil to be added.
It seems that a lot of the finished dish is down to personal taste.
So what are your essential ingredients ?
Do they depend on what you have to hand ? Or need to use up such as those slices of corn ?
What's nice in your niçoise ?
