Jackson Free Press

The French Salade Niçoise (pronounced nee-swaz) traditionally consists of tuna, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, Niçoise olives and anchovies. It's sprinkled with vinaigrette dressing and often is served on a bed of lettuce. While I'm usually not one to mess with perfection, I make an elegant variation that is served warm, with seared sea bass, grouper or other firm white fish atop a bed of colorful vegetables. It is light enough for a summertime meal and impressive enough to serve to company.

The presentation is dramatic yet simple, and the best part is that you can prep the meal in advance. Gently warming the vegetables, cooking the fish and clever plating strategies are all you need to serve the dish.

One of the keys of this Salade Niçoise—besides the gorgeous fish on a bed of bright vegetables—is basil oil. The oil looks like it would be complicated, but it is super easy to make. Once you try this recipe, you will use the basil oil to beautify many dishes. The Parmesan crisps are also simple to prepare.

If you want to finish the meal with a healthy, light dessert, you might enjoy Couscous Timbales with fruit. It may seem odd to have pasta for dessert, but for this recipe, you toss it with dried fruit and nuts, and steep them in heated fruit juices. Then you mold them in small, paper cups sprayed with canola oil and sugarcoat the inside of the molds.

Again, you can prepare this ahead of time, and you can simply throw the cups away after unmolding.

Couscous Timbale with Fruit

1 cup couscous

1 cup guava nectar (found in the international section of most grocery stores)

1 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon sugar

About 1/4 cup dried fruit and nuts (black currants, sun-dried cranberries and toasted pistachios or almonds are a nice choice)

Heat the juices and sugar, combine the dried fruit and nuts to the couscous, and then pour the hot liquid over it. Cover and allow the dish to "bloom" on counter for an half hour. Oil and sugar the molds. (Dixie cups work well).

Serves 2

This pairs well with a French Sauterne, which has a perfect balance of sweetness and zesty acidity.

Seared Sea Bass Salade Niçoise With Basil Oil and Parmesan Crisps

Two 5-ounce portions sea bass or grouper filets

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup seasoned all-purpose flour

1/2 cup green beans, blanched

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

4 Red Bliss potatoes sliced into 1/4-inch circles, blanched

1/4 cup shredded fennel

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh basil oil for garnish

For Crisps:

About 1/3 cup good Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated into large strips

For the basil oil, put a handful of fresh basil leaves into boiling water for three seconds only. Shock them immediately in ice water, dry on paper towels then combine in a food processor with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Put the oil in a squeeze bottle.

For the crisps, place Parmesan strips on a lightly oiled pan and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Blanch the green beans, fennel and potatoes in boiling water, then immediately shock in ice water so that they remain al dente and bright. Combine the vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and toss in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Gently heat the vegetables in the oven before plating.

Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the fish lightly and sear them for three minutes on each side. Finish in a 350-degree oven for an additional five minutes.

To serve, place equal portions of vegetables on each plate and place cooked fish on top of vegetables. Garnish with basil oil "drops" and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 2.

For wine accompaniment, try a chilled, crisp Sauvignon Blanc.