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
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.
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.
Prepare the dressing; place all the ingredients into a screw-topped jar and shake well.
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.
Top tip for making Summer beef salad niçoise
This recipe works well with leftover cooked roast beef too.
