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1
Preheat the grill or broiler to high.
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2
Wash and dry the chicken breasts and trim off any fat and sinews.
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3
Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and thickly sprinkle with cracked peppercorns and salt.
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4
Grill the breasts until cooked, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
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5
Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and thinly slice widthwise across the grain.
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6
If using cooked chicken, thinly slice or dice it.
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7
Place the potatoes in a pot with cold water to cover and salt.
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8
Bring the potatoes to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
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9
Refresh the potatoes under cold water and drain.
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10
Cut any large potatoes in quarters or halves to have bite-size pieces.
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11
Snap the stems off the beans and cook them in rapidly boiling salted water until crispy-tender, about 2 minutes.
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12
Refresh under cold water and drain.
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13
Fan the tomato slices out to cover the bottom edges of 4 large plates or a platter.
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14
Mound the mesclun at the top of the plate.
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15
Arrange bundles of haricots verts, clusters of potatoes, and piles of olives between the tomatoes and mesclun.
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16
Sprinkle the hard-cooked egg whites and sliced onion on top.
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17
Or use a different arrangement: The idea is to create a pretty, colorful salad.
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18
Prepare the vinaigrette.
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19
Place the stock, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, scallion, anchovy fillets (if using), capers, and basil leaves in a blender and puree until smooth.
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20
Correct the seasoning, adding black pepper and salt to taste.
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21
(You probably wont need salt if you use the anchovy.)
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22
Transfer the dressing to a bowl and serve on the side.
