Page 215 - Pie Squared

NIÇOISE-STYLE TUNA AND

SPRING GREENS SLAB PIE

WITH A PRETZEL CRUST

Serves 8

I’ve taken some liberties in calling this a pie. In reality, it’s nothing
more than a composed salad set attractively atop a salty, satisfying
pretzel plate. Putting this pie together takes some pre-planning, and
the actual construction is a little bit fussy, but it’s a clever way to

serve a salad at a party. Look for the freshest eggs, with deep
yellow-orange yolks, and tiny, divine, perfect vegetables: Potatoes
the size of cherry tomatoes; thin, new, bright green beans. Assemble
a blend of tender greens with sharp, bitter ones: I like arugula, baby

kale, edible flowers, squash blossoms, dandelion greens, mâche,
frisée, or a fresh young spring mix from a local farmer. Find high-
quality, sustainably fished tuna packed in olive oil, often sold in glass
jars and imported from Italy or Spain, and the little white anchovies

packed in oil. If all the Tinkertoy layering is too fussy, toss the salad
together and pile it on top of the baked crust.

Make Ahead: Make the crust up to several hours ahead but
assemble the salad as close to the last minute as possible. Make the

dressing up to a week ahead. There will be dressing remaining—
you’ll find many opportunities to use it.

PRETZEL CRUST

½ pound (225 g) fat pretzels, knots, or rods (about 2 cups crushed)

8 tablespoons (113 g)unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature