Salad Niçoise with Grilled Tuna

There are many variations of this traditional salad from Nice on the French Riviera. This is from William-Sonoma’s Casual Outdoor Dining by Georgeanne Brennan with a few revisions from me.

This is an ideal recipe for a dinner party as just about everything except for grilling the fish can be prepared in advance. 

The salad can be served at room temperature, which makes it an excellent candidate for serving outdoors if you like. Add some freshly baked bread and some wine and prepare yourself for the compliments.

4 servings 

1 pound tuna fillets, sliced about ½ inch thick

4 medium boiling or red new potatoes,

½ lb thin green beans

2 cups mixed young lettuces

4 tomatoes

1 small hothouse cucumber

4 hard boiled eggs.

½ c Kalamata olives jarred in olive oil, pitted

1 T capers (optional)

8 anchovies in olive oil (optional)

In advance:

1. Cover eggs with cold water, bring to boil, lower heat to simmer, cook 12 minutes. Remove from pan and run under cold water. Cool.
2. Boil potatoes in salted water approx. 20 minutes until tender.  Cool.
3. Trim green beans. Steam until tender 5–7 minutes. Place under cold running water to arrest the cooking. Drain. Cool.
4.  Prepare dressing. 

Preparation:

1. Start fire. 
2. Slice potatoes in ¼ inch rounds
3. Cut tomatoes in wedges.
4. Slice eggs
5. Thinly slice cucumbers.  If using regular cucumber instead of hothouse, peel first.Divide lettuce among 4 large salad bowls or plates.
6. Sprinkle tuna fillets with salt and pepper. Grill tuna. Cook 2–3 minutes on each side for rare. Ideally, the fish should be pink in the middle. Remember….it will continue to cook once you take it off the grill. If you cook until white in the middle it will be overdone and dry.
7. Meanwhile, arrange vegetables and eggs over greens. I like to keep each vegetable grouped together, not tossed. (See photo.) Place grilled tuna fillet on each plate. Add olives, sprinkle with capers, place 2 anchovies on tuna fillet. 
8. Drizzle with dressing.

Dressing… I like to serve this salad with Ina Garten’s Lemon Vinaigrette

1 ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard

¼ c freshly squeezed lemon juice

5 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

¾ tsp kosher salt

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all in mini food processor and process until creamy.  Or whisk by hand.

Tip... make extra of this salad dressing...it's great.