Nicoise Salad with Octopus

Nicoise Salad with Charred Octopus

Ingredients

• 8 oz. fingerling potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch coins
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• Kosher salt
• 8 oz. green beans, preferablt haricots verts
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 hard cooked egg yolks
• 1 recipe Charred Octopus
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
• 1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh mint; plus whole leavs for garnish
• 2 tsp. white wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbs. Black Olive Caramel or black olive tapenade

Preparation

Heat the oven to 400°F. Toss the potatoes with enough oil to coat. Season well with  salt, and spread out on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, flipping once, until tender, 15  to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of well-salted  water to a boil. Add the beans, and boil until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer  to the ice water to cool. Drain and pat dry with paper towel.

Toss the tomatoes with 1 tsp. salt. Press the yolks through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl.

In a large bowl, gently toss the octopus, green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumber with the mint, vinegar, and the 2 Tbs. of olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, dot serving plates with the caramel or tapenade. Divide the salad among the plates and serve sprinkled with the egg yolk and topped with whole fresh mint leaves.