Swap the classic Niçoise salad for other firm-fleshed fish.

The Niçoise salad takes its name from the French coastal city of Nice and is a complete meal in itself. It typically includes new potatoes, green beans, olives, tomatoes, lettuce, hard-boiled egg, and canned tuna in olive oil, all dressed with a mustard vinaigrette.

If you don't like any of the ingredients, the recipe is flexible: you can add radishes or cucumbers, substitute the potatoes with lentils, farro, or another whole grain, or change the vinaigrette for a different dressing. The tuna can also be replaced with another firm-fleshed fish, such as salmon or trout.

In the United States, tuna is the most common protein in this salad, but it doesn't have to be. Any oily, firm-fleshed fish will work, whether canned or cooked at home, including salmon, trout, and even crabmeat. If you opt for a fresh fillet, it can be baked, grilled, or pan-fried.

For salmon, season with Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper, and bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 12 to 15 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. Trout can be seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and lemon wedges, and baked for about 15 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. If using canned fish, choose the kind packed in oil, which has more flavor than the kind packed in water. For a more intense flavor, you can add anchovies or sardines on top; anchovies are also a traditional ingredient.

Purists of Niçoise salad, that is, the inhabitants of Nice, don't usually accept adaptations that stray from the dish's origins, and the way it's prepared is also based on tradition. Renée Graglia, president of the Cercle de la Capelina d'Or, whose mission is "to teach, defend, and promote the traditional cuisine of the Nice region," as reported by the Times of Malta, sums it up this way: "When we come back from vacation, we talk about our experiences in France, like that time they served me Niçoise salad with mayonnaise." And she adds: "I was horrified!"

Graglia adds that the Niçoise salad originally consisted of only three ingredients: anchovies, tomatoes, and olive oil. Over time, the dish has evolved from a working-class staple to something as simple or as sophisticated as the diner desires.