Summer beef salad niçoise recipe

When it's too hot for a roast dinner, use tender beef as the basis for this delicious colourful salad

Ingredients

• 450-675g (1-1½ lb) lean topside or mini roast joint
• Salt and pepper
• 40g (1½ oz) softened butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 60ml (4tbsp) freshly chopped chives
• 3 medium eggs, hard-boiled and roughly chopped
• 15 small new potatoes, halved and cooked
• 100g (4oz) fine green beans, topped, tailed and blanched
• 3 little Gem lettuces, roughly torn
• 10-12 black olives, halved
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 4-6 tomatoes, chopped
• 30ml (2tbsp) freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• few caper berries, to garnish, optional

For the dressing:

• 60ml (4tbsp) red wine vinegar
• 175ml (6fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5). Place the joint on a chopping board. Make several slits over the surface of the joint and season. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, garlic and chives and spread generously over the joint and into the slits.
2. Place on a metal rack in a large non-stick roasting tin and open roast in a preheated oven for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting with any rich meat juices. After roasting cover and leave to rest for 5-10 mins.
3. Prepare the dressing; place all the ingredients into a screw-topped jar and shake well.
4. Place all the salad ingredients in a large salad bowl. Slice the beef very thinly and toss lightly in the salad. Drizzle over the dressing. Serve immediately with crusty bread.