The Art of Making Tarragon Mayonnaise and Salad Nicoise

To start off, making tarragon mayonnaise requires several key components, including one egg yolk, a little bit of heat, a teaspoon of mustard, and a splash of tarragon vinegar. The first step is to whisk these ingredients together in a large bowl until they form a smooth paste. It's then necessary to add a small amount of oil to the mixture, starting with sunflower oil and dripping it into the bowl in a slow and steady stream while continuously whisking. This process requires patience and attention to detail, as the goal is to achieve a thick consistency that's similar to mayonnaise. Once this base has been achieved, additional oil can be added more quickly, and the mixture will take on a rich and creamy texture.

The addition of lemon juice enhances the flavor of the tarragon mayonnaise, while also giving it a bright and citrusy taste. To thin out the mayonnaise further, water can be added, resulting in a lighter consistency that's similar to vinaigrette. This variation is ideal for serving with salmon or other delicate fish dishes. The key to making successful tarragon mayonnaise lies in achieving the perfect balance of flavors and textures.

The preparation of salad nicoise requires some creativity and attention to detail. Instead of using boiled eggs, which are traditional in this dish, it's recommended to cook them by placing espresso cups or similar ovenproof containers in a bath of boiling water and baking them in the oven for eight minutes. This method ensures that the yolks remain soft and creamy, while also adding a subtle flavor to the eggs.

The addition of various components to the salad nicoise can make a significant difference in the final dish. Chopped tarragon, aniseed, lemon zest, salt, and pepper are all essential ingredients that add depth and complexity to the salad. The use of these ingredients also helps to enhance the flavor of the salmon, which is typically served as part of this classic French dish.

One of the most iconic garnishes for salad nicoise is the anchovy, which adds a salty and savory flavor to the dish. To incorporate this ingredient into the salad, it's necessary to roll the anchovies into small rings and place them at the bottom of a bed of basil leaves on top of each plate. This simple yet elegant touch can elevate the entire dish and make it truly special.

The key to creating an impressive salad nicoise lies in its attention to detail and individual components. By carefully preparing each element, including the tarragon mayonnaise, eggs, and anchovies, a beautifully presented dish can be achieved that is both delicious and visually stunning.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ensalmon poached the next job is making the like tarragon mayonnaise tarragon mayonnaise with the difference first of all can make it to start off with one egg yolk little bit of heat in there teaspoon of mustard a little splash of tarragon vinegar in whisk that first nice big blue whisk and then when the bus starts moving get your cloth open it up just go around and keep it on there that's not going anywhere now yeah what we want to do first is with nice and thick so he can take the oil with one hand sunflower oil and the other thumb over the end of the bottle tip it upside down slowly drip feed the oil in whisk whisk whisk drip drip drip and stop whisk and change hands that way that is getting tired whisk whisk whisk drizzle the sunflower oil in stop once you've got that nice base you can add the oil quicker it's so easy delicious when it's reach that luscious thick consistency add a squeeze of lemon juice and that's your basic mayonnaise done but I'm gonna thin it down with water because I want it much much lighter almost like a vinaigrette which is perfect for salmon lease was still nice and creamy now that chopped tarragon the aniseed takes work really well with the eggs and lemon zest to liven it up and now the seasoning always at the end salt pepper I just mix that around no beautiful it's got the texture of a custard almost like a lemon curd it's incredibly rich it just falls off the spoon its traditional to use boiled eggs and salad nicoise but I'm gonna do mine differently cuddle the eggs first put some water on to heat then coat espresso cups or similar ovenproof containers with butter next season each cup with pepper and lime with a couple of basil leaves which gives the eggs a lovely herby note with a season it but the classic Nicoise garnish anchovies we just roll that round like a little ring and sit there at the bottom of the basil then cracking your eggs every little component going on that plate makes a big difference taking it up to that little extra special level place the espresso cups in a bath of boiling water and baking the oven for about eight minutes so the yolks are still soft and creamy where the eggs in the oven it's time to bring the final components of the Nicoise togethersalmon poached the next job is making the like tarragon mayonnaise tarragon mayonnaise with the difference first of all can make it to start off with one egg yolk little bit of heat in there teaspoon of mustard a little splash of tarragon vinegar in whisk that first nice big blue whisk and then when the bus starts moving get your cloth open it up just go around and keep it on there that's not going anywhere now yeah what we want to do first is with nice and thick so he can take the oil with one hand sunflower oil and the other thumb over the end of the bottle tip it upside down slowly drip feed the oil in whisk whisk whisk drip drip drip and stop whisk and change hands that way that is getting tired whisk whisk whisk drizzle the sunflower oil in stop once you've got that nice base you can add the oil quicker it's so easy delicious when it's reach that luscious thick consistency add a squeeze of lemon juice and that's your basic mayonnaise done but I'm gonna thin it down with water because I want it much much lighter almost like a vinaigrette which is perfect for salmon lease was still nice and creamy now that chopped tarragon the aniseed takes work really well with the eggs and lemon zest to liven it up and now the seasoning always at the end salt pepper I just mix that around no beautiful it's got the texture of a custard almost like a lemon curd it's incredibly rich it just falls off the spoon its traditional to use boiled eggs and salad nicoise but I'm gonna do mine differently cuddle the eggs first put some water on to heat then coat espresso cups or similar ovenproof containers with butter next season each cup with pepper and lime with a couple of basil leaves which gives the eggs a lovely herby note with a season it but the classic Nicoise garnish anchovies we just roll that round like a little ring and sit there at the bottom of the basil then cracking your eggs every little component going on that plate makes a big difference taking it up to that little extra special level place the espresso cups in a bath of boiling water and baking the oven for about eight minutes so the yolks are still soft and creamy where the eggs in the oven it's time to bring the final components of the Nicoise together\n"