Tuna Niçoise Salad was a natural choice of an appetizer for our French Dinner with friends. This classic salad is a perennial favorite of the brasserie culture, not only in France but all over the world. My interpretation was simple yet uncompromisingly delicious!
I used crunchy haricot verts, which literally means “green beans” in French, with sweet cherry tomatoes, boiled baby potatoes, tiny quail eggs and briny Kalamata olives. I topped the salad with perfectly seared thinly sliced tuna pieces. Their deep red color provided a pomp of vibrancy to this classic dish. Idea for entertaining on the weekend – lay out all the vegetables in a “no-fuss” manner on a large platter. Arrange some crunchy green beans first, add whole olives, quartered boiled eggs, whole radish and chunks of tuna, and simply serve! For dipping, use my simple mustardy sauce and flaky finishing salt on top. Don’t forget the rustic country bread for your guests to mop up the plates!
Ingredients: tuna steak, haricot verts, or green beans, baby potatoes, cherry tomatoes, quail eggs, Kalamata olives, chives, olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Baby potatoes: Cook the potatoes in a pot of well-salted boiling water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a chopping board. Cut in halves.
Haricot verts: Add the beans to the same pot, and blanch them for 4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh in the ice bath. Drain. Cut the beans in three pieces on a bias. Set aside.
Quail Eggs: In the same pot, boil the eggs for 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool completely.
Peel the eggs and halve. Set aside.
Halve the cherry tomatoes. Set aside.
Use already pitted Kalamata olives for this recipe – they have a nice briny saltiness to them. Cut each olive in half and then each half in two.
When selecting a tuna steak, look for a firm, deep red piece with nice fresh aroma and which has been neatly trimmed.
Tuna Steak: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season tuna generously with salt and ground pepper. Add the steak to a frying pan, and sear it for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. With a sharp knife, slice the tuna thinly into pieces. Set aside.
Serve this salad family style by using one large platter. Arrange the green beans on the platter, and scatter potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and olives. Arrange the quail egg halves, drizzle over the dressing, and scatter chopped parsley and chives on top. Season with salt and pepper. Place the tuna slices over the salad, and sprinkle them with some finishing salt, like fleur de sel.
Ingredients
- 8 oz. tuna steak
- 12 oz. haricot verts, or green beans
- 8 oz. baby potatoes
- 10 cherry tomatoes
- 6 quail eggs
- 10 Kalamata olives, halved, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon chives, thinly chopped
- Dressing
- 3 tablespoons Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Baby potatoes: Cook the potatoes in a pot of well salted boiling water for 10 minutes or until just tender. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a chopping board. Halve.
Haricot verts: Add the beans to the same pot and blanch them for 3-4 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh in the ice bath. Drain. Cut the beans in three pieces on a bias. Set aside.
Quail eggs: In the same pot, boil the eggs for 3 minutes. Transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool completely. Peel the eggs and halve. Set aside.
Dressing: Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Tuna steak: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season tuna generously with salt and ground pepper. Add the steak to a frying pan and sear it for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest. With a sharp knife, slice the tuna thinly into pieces. Set aside.
Serve this salad family style by using one large platter. Arrange the green beans on the platter, scatter potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and olives. Arrange the quail egg halves, drizzle over the dressing and scatter chopped parsley and chives on top. Season with salt and pepper. Place the tuna slices on the salad and sprinkle them with some finishing salt, like fleur de sel.
Notes
Kitchen tip: When selecting a tuna steak, look for a firm, deep red piece with nice fresh aroma and which has been neatly trimmed.
Svitlana Flom is the editor-in-chief of www.artdefete.com an informative website that helps women transform their home décor form ordinary to extraordinary. All images are © Art de Fete
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