GERALD KONINGS’ SALADE NIÇOISE SPRING ROLLS
During a vacation to Provence in April 2024, I enjoyed several meals at a private residence from the hands of Gérald Konings, a Swiss-Dutch who lives & works in Provence. When I asked him for one of his favorite “crowd-pleaser” recipes, he gave me this one. It’s essentially a Salade Niçoise wrapped in a rice paper roll. It is delicious, in addition to being comely to the eye. Serve it with its anchoïade, an anchovy- and garlic-scented mayonnaise.
Gérald Konings’ Salade Niçoise Spring Rolls, with their anchoïade for dipping.
RECIPE: Gérald Konings’ Salade Niçoise Spring Rolls
Makes 4; easily multiplied.
Ingredients
4 rice paper rounds
16-20 haricots verts (or 12 regular green beans), cooked crisp-tender, each cut 4 inches long
8 thin strips roasted, jarred sweet red pepper, 1/4-inch wide x 4 inches long
1 can tuna fish (small if possible), in olive oil
3-4 radishes, trimmed, grated on the large holes of a box grater
8 black olives (such as Kalamata or Gaeta), cut longwise from the pit into 4 equal pieces, or other pitted black olives in thin rings
4 large “grape” or Campari (or 8 largish cherry) tomatoes, sliced thinly longwise, seeded
3 medium or 2 large silver anchovies, in olive oil, chopped
Handful of leaves of arugula, tender stems OK
2 medium or 1 large hard-cooked egg, both yolk and white chopped very fine
Anchoïade (recipe below)
Directions
Prepare the anchoïade by mixing its ingredients well (see recipe below). Set it aside for service and to blend the flavors. (It should be more of a thickish dip than a runny sauce.)
Prepare all the vegetables and other ingredients as indicated, placing each ingredient in a small bowl or ramekin of its own. In addition, the tomato and olive slices, whatever length they are, should be no more than 1/3-inch wide.
Make each spring roll: Fill a bowl or pan wider than the rice paper rounds with the tap’s hottest water. Using tongs (or fingertips), slip a round into the water, turning it once or twice, for 6-7 seconds, ensuring it is wetted well on both sides. Pull it out of the water and lay it flat onto a cutting board. (It helps to use a surface that is not white or very light-colored so that you may see the edges of the round as you work with it.) The water it pulls out with itself will soften it further. You will be rolling tight rolls so you do not want the rice paper to be too wet and, consequently, flimsy.
Beginning 2 inches from the bottom of the round, lay 4-5 haricots verts (or 3 green beans); they will be the “spine” of the spring roll. Then, in order of listing, lay out the remaining ingredients, one above the other, beginning with the roasted sweet red peppers and ending with the chopped hard-cooked egg. Use the arugula leaves to taste, 4 or more or less.
Fold up the bottom of the rice paper (it may help to use the blade of a chef’s knife to lift it initially), then fold in the right and left sides. Pulling ever so slightly, roll up the spring roll from the bottom up, keeping the filling taut against the rice paper round.
On a kitchen towel in the refrigerator, lay each spring roll seam side down, not touching one another. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let the spring rolls cool and rest for 3o minutes. To serve, cut each roll diagonally on the bias halfway through. Serve with the anchoïade for dipping.
Gérald Konings’ Anchoïade
- 1-2 anchovies, mashed, quantity to taste
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste
- 3 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise
Wine Pairings and Why: Wine and food pairing advice that says, “Oh, any wine will do” is the same as suggesting that you use just any golf club off the tee or on the green. Doesn’t work. With this recipe, for example, “any ol’ cabernet sauvignon” would taste awful. (Many other reds would, too.) Your palate will appreciate alternate wines, such as lean whites or crisp rosés. They’ll taste better than reds given the recipe’s constituent elements of oily fish and vegetables. A Provence Rosé, of course (echoing the place of origin of the spring rolls, even the rolls’ recipe), a South African Chenin Blanc or Dry Vouvray from France, or Spanish CAVA Sparkling Wine—all would be delicious.