Fresh Tuna Salade Nicoise

This salad is easiest to serve on a huge platter with each ingredient arranged separately.  This presentation is not only quick to put together and appealing, but it also lets everyone take what they like.

There are three keys to the flavor of this salad.  The first is to dress each element separately instead of trying to dress everything together at the end.  Using this method, each component is correctly flavored, letting you pass a small dish of extra vinaigrette for anyone who wants to add more.  The second key is to buy top quality tuna steaks and only cook them to medium rare, keeping the fish from drying out and becoming tasteless.  Finally, the salad tastes best if each element is served at room temperature, instead of too chilled.

Serve with a loaf of great bread and a chilled Sancerre, adding a fruit crisp or cobbler for dessert to make a perfect summer meal.  Serves 4

 

Ingredients:  The Salad

1-1/2 pounds top-quality tuna steaks, at least 1" thick
1 pound baby potatoes: fingerlings, Yukon Gold, red bliss or other locally farmed potatoes are best; scrubbed with the skins left on (enough to have about 2 cups of potatoes)
1 pound haricots verts, trimmed and washed (about 2-3 cups)
4 eggs (greenmarket farm eggs are always best)
2 cups baby arugula or mesclun or other young salad greens
1 cup small mozzarella balls, often called bocconcini
2 cups shredded red cabbage (or see our recipe for Red Cabbage Salad)
2 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges or else cherry tomatoes, halved
1-2 cups artichoke hearts cut into large pieces (try to buy these at a good Italian deli and not use ones out of a can)

Ingredients:  The Vinaigrette

2 anchovies (oil-packed canned are perfect)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 generous teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons canola oil

Tip:  If you want to leave out the anchovies, just do so.  But anchovies are a classic Nicoise ingredient so if you leave them out of the vinaigrette, you may want to add a couple of anchovies to the platter for anyone who loves these salty little fish.

Tip:  There are many kinds of anchovies to buy but for a recipe like this, ones canned in olive oil are a perfect choice.  Look for the Recca brand which comes in both cans and small glass jars.

Making the Vinaigrette

1. Using a paring knife, cut the anchovies into a very fine mince and place them a medium bowl along with the vinegar and mustard.  Using a fork or a whisk, combine them all together.
2. Add the salt and pepper and combine.
3. Slowly whisk in the olive oil and canola oil to combine.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside until you're ready with the salad ingredients.  Re-mix before adding to vegetables. 

Making the Salad

1. Begin by putting the scrubbed potatoes into a saucepan filled with cold water.  Set the timer to 15 minutes.  Put on a high heat and bring to a boil, then adjust to medium high and simmer for a total time of 15 minutes (this includes the time it took for the water and potatoes to come to a boil).  When they are just tender through -- be careful you don't overcook them -- remove from the heat and drain.  Transfer to a medium bowl and if not bite-sized, cut them in half and while still warm, toss with about 2-3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Set aside and let cool.
2. Fill a saucepan (the one you just cooked the potatoes in is perfect) with water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil.  Add the cleaned and trimmed haricots verts and cook for about 3 minutes until they are just tender.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the beans and immediately plunge them into a large bowl of iced water.  This stops the cooking and also helps retain the bright green color.  Drain completely and pat dry with paper towels.  Transfer to a bowl and toss with about 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Set aside.
3. Take the red cabbage, remove any outer leaves and the core, and cut a wedge that is large enough so when shredded with produce about 2 cups of shredded cabbage.  Shred the wedge either by using your food processor or by hand with a chef's knife.  Place the 2 cups of shredded cabbage into a large bowl and toss with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Set aside. (For more on making red cabbage salad, see our recipe.)
4. Place the eggs in a small saucepan filled with cold water.  Place on high heat and bring to a boil, turning the heat to medium high and simmering for 10 minutes.  Plunge the eggs into cold water and when cool enough to handle, peel.  Once the eggs are fully cooled, cut into quarters.  Set aside.
5. Wash the baby arugula/mesclun and dry completely.  Do not dress but hold aside until you're ready to assemble the salad.  I recommend not dressing these greens because nearly everything else in the salad will have a little vinaigrette on it and the greens will automatically pick up any extra dressing, plus more can be added by each person.
6. To cook the tuna steaks, use a hot cast iron grill pan or sauté pan (you could also broil the fish but you must watch the pieces very carefully so as to not overcook them).  Place the pan on high heat and let it become blazing hot.  Take the tuna steak and cut into large pieces, about 6" by 2" and rub a small amount of olive oil on each piece, enough to just slick the surface.  Place the fish into the hot pan and cook about 2 minutes per side, to sear and slightly crisp each surface but leaving the interior red.  Be careful not to overcook the fish.
7. Remove the fish from the pan and let sit on a plate, coming to room temperature.  When cool enough to handle, cut each piece on the diagonal into thick slices, to show the red interior and cooked surfaces.

Assembling the Salad

1. Use a very large platter and begin by placing a mound of undressed arugula/mesclun in the center.
2. Working around this centerpiece, arrange each ingredient in its own pile, making an attractive presentation.  Take color and texture into account, placing next to one another a mound of dressed red cabbage, a pile of dressed baby potatoes, big pieces of ripe tomato wedges, a scattering of little mozzarella bocconcini, a stack of dressed haricots verts, and quarters of the hard boiled eggs placed in between each element.
3. Gently place the pieces of pan grilled tuna on top of the center mound of salad greens.
4. Let each person serve themselves from the platter and separately pass a bowl of extra vinaigrette to add as each would like.  

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