GRILLED TUNA NICOISE SALAD WITH FRESH GRILLED TUNA
Ingredients
- 1/2 .5 .5pound POUNDWeightgreen beans, blanched
- 3/4 .75 .75cup CUP_USVolumeextra virgin olive oil, divided
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 1 1large onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rings
- 2 2 2cups CUP_USVolumeroasted bell peppers cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 1 1cup CUP_USVolumeNiçoise Salad Dressing (see separate recipe)
- 3/4 .75 .75pound POUNDWeightsmall new potatoes, boiled
- 2 2 2cups CUP_USVolumemixed red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 4 4 4slices French bread, preferably sourdough
- 1 1 1garlic clove, peeled
- 4 4 4tablespoons TABLESPOON_USVolumeherbed goat cheese
- 4 4 4teaspoons TEASPOON_USVolumeolive tapenade (see separate recipe)
- 2 2 2(12-ounce) tuna steaks about 1 inch thick, seasoned with freshly cracked coriander seeds, cracked black pepper, and kosher salt to taste
- 8 8 8cups CUP_USVolumemixed baby lettuces, washed and dried
- 1/2 .5 .5cup CUP_USVolumepitted Niçoise olives
- 2 2 2eggs, hard boiled, peeled and quartered
- 8 8 8anchovy fillets
Instructions
- Season the blanched beans with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
- In a small saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
- In a small bowl, toss together the roasted pepper strips and 1/4 cup Niçoise Salad Dressing. (See separate recipe.) Reserve.
- Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch round slices. Place in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Niçoise Salad Dressing and toss until well blended. Reserve.
- In a small bowl, toss together the tomatoes and 1/4 cup Niçoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
- To make Crostini: Arrange the bread slices in a baking tray. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for six to eight minutes. Allow to cool, then rub with garlic clove. For each of the crostini, spread 1 tablespoon herbed goat cheese and top with 1 teaspoon olive tapenade.
- Heat a charcoal or gas grill until very hot. Brush the tuna fillets with olive oil and grill for 2 to 3 minutes each side searing the outside but keeping the centers rare. Remove from heat and allow to rest before slicing each tuna fillet into 6 slices.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the mixed baby lettuces with 1/4 cup Niçoise Salad Dressing.
Presentation
Divide the green beans, onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and olives into 4 portions and arrange in a dramatic fan around the rim of each plate. Then arrange the eggs and finally the anchovies. Mound a quarter of the lettuce in the center of each plate. Arrange tuna slices around the sides of the salad and finish the salad by placing a crostini on top. Be as creative as you can!Wine Recommendation
In France they’d drink a cold Provencal red, a Bandol or Cote de Provence with a Salad Nicoise. But if you haven’t got these wines in your cellar look to a Californian Zinfandel or Niebaum-Coppola’s Sangenovese.
ABOUT THIS RECIPE
There are as many recipes for Nicoise salad as there are restaurants in the South of France. I always use the best tuna, so it can be grilled rare, and I put both herbed goat cheese and tapenade on the crostini to remind me of my days in Provence.