Spoilt salade

How to make the perfect salade nicoise | Life and style | The Guardian

Hey, here's another one of these Guardian blog articles that go into far more detail than seems strictly necessary as to the possible variations of a common-ish dish.   The last one I noted was about pasta  carbonara; this time it's another favourite of mine - salade nicoise.

But it starts to go off the rails straight away, with the writer (Felicity) saying she really doesn't like canned tuna, and just prefers it with anchovies alone (ugh); also, apparently some people insist that boiled potato in it is an absolute abomination.

Well, this is all rather silly.   Chunks of a good quality canned tuna (in olive oil) are essential, and some modest amount of boiled potato make it a filling meal.   As for the other vegetables, I usually - um , julienne is the word I think I need - carrots and cut up some green beans and steam them just for a minute or two, then poor cold water on them to stop the cooking and leave them crisp but with the rawness taken off a bit.   That and lettuce are the main ingredients; well, if you aren't counting the olives, tuna, potato, salad onion, capers and boiled egg.   Not sure if always add tomatoes or not - my son won't eat them, which I find odd.   I think the vinaigrette I use is usually just lemon and olive oil, with garlic and a little bit of sugar. 

Anyhow, as I say, these articles in the Guardian do get a bit carried away.  As someone in comments says:

This kind of article is testament to the levels of debauchery now prevalent in the food porn industry. What utter, utter toss.

Well, maybe that's going too far.

But the biggest spoilsport of all in the thread is George Monbiot (!) who writes:

 I love what you do Felicity, but "the issue of fish" isn't just a matter of taste and money. It's also a matter of conservation, especially when it comes to species like tuna. Could we not make a decision that some species should be off-limits in recipes? And that if they are to be discussed, we can remind readers that this is a moral choice as well as a gastronomic one?

Oh dear.  I can't even enjoy canned tuna in oil once a week?

Actually, I was under the impression that some headway had been made in protecting tuna, and I also thought that your common canned varieties were not the most endangered.   Now I have to check this again, otherwise I will be thinking of George the next few times I make my salade nicoise.