Tuna Salade Niçoise With A Twist

Tuna Salade Niçoise With A Twist - Easy Meals with Video Recipes by Chef Joel Mielle - RECIPE30

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With fresh tuna, basil, green beans, tosated pinenuts and boiled egg

Salade Nicoise as the name suggests comes from the city of “Nice” in Provence, in the South of France. There’s been so many variations of this bistro style famous salade that it’s difficult to judge what an authentic Salade Nicoise actually is. Perhaps the Nicoise is simply a salad made with local ingredients. Some have potatoes, tomatoes, broad beans and more. Three key ingredients that seem to be ubiquitous are the olives, eggs and anchovies. My twisted version is made simple, with a freshness that will make feel like you’re actually in Provence listing to singing cicadas under the shade of an olive tree . You can also use tin tuna, but as always, fresh cannot be beaten. Cook it to your liking, but be aware that tuna is a very lean fish, it can turn very dry if overcooked, so I suggest rare, or very pink in the middle.

Ingredients

2 slices of fresh tuna
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 handful of green beans 100g - 3.5oz
3 spring onions (green onions)
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 tbs capers
2 hands full of fresh basil
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tbs mayonnaise (store bought or click below for recipe)
half a lemon
4 white anchovies

Click for quick Mayonnaise recipe

Steps

Step 1
In a saucepan, add water and bring to the boil. Top and tail your green beans. Cook in water for approx 4 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, refresh under cold water, strain and slice into small pieces.
Step 2
In a saucepan, add water and bring to the boil for the eggs. Gently immerse the eggs into boiling water for 11 minutes.

Prepare a bowl with iced water for the eggs.
Step 3
Place a frying pan on moderate heat and add the pine nuts. Keep tossing the nuts to toast them evenly (be careful as they burn very quickly, so keep watching them). As soon as they are nicely toasted, transfer them to a cold plate to help cool down fast.
Step 4
In a mixing bowl, for the salad add the sliced green beans. Add the sliced spring onions (green onion). Tear some fresh basil leaves and add to salad. Season with salt and pepper. If eggs are ready, remove them and add to ice water. Add the capers to salad. Add the pine nuts. Add olive oil and combine all ingredients well.
Step 5
Place a dry griddle pan on high heat. Rub olive oil on both sides of the tuna slices. Add salt and pepper on each side of tuna slices. Place tuna on hot griddle and cook rare for approx 90 seconds each side. (this varies a lot with different thicknesses). Remove from griddle and place tuna on serving plate.
Step 6
Add one tbsp mayonnaise per plate. Add half the salad mixture on top of tuna. Peel and slice the boiled eggs in half. Place both halves on top of mayonnaise. Add the anchovies making an “X” shape on top of eggs. Scatter the olives around each plate.
Step 7
Serve with a wedge of lemon.

Little Tips

Tuna can be cooked to your liking, but be aware that's it becomes very dry if not cooked at least medium to rare. You can also peel and boil kipfler potatoes and add as slices to this salad. Cherry tomatoes also go well.

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