Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise Recipe

By | April 1, 2009

Grilled Tuna With Recipes Nicoise For Salad

Grilled Tuna Recipe Ingredients

  • Red-wine vinegar – 2 fluid ounces
  • Shallots, chives or scallions – 2 medium sized and chopped fine
  • Garlic – 1 large clove, chopped fine and then mashed
  • Olive oil – 1 cup
  • Salt – 1 tsp kosher salt or ½ tsp regular table salt
  • Mustard – 2 teaspoons, preferably Dijon mustard
  • Fresh basil and thyme- 1 1/2 tablespoons each (optional)
  • Tuna steak fillet- 1 lb
  • Green beans – 4 oz preferably Haricots Verts
  • Small potatoes – 1 1/2 lb
  • Eggs – 4 large and quartered hard-boiled eggs
  • Little Gem lettuce -3/4 lb
  • Tomatoes – 8 oz grape or cherry, cut in half
  • Black olives – 12 to 16 small brine-cured olives, preferably Niçoise or Elitses
  • Bottled capers – 1 1/2 oz, well drained and halved
  • Pepper- 2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Method

  1. Put the red wine vinegar, shallots, garlic and mustard in a small bowl. Add ½ tablespoon each of finely chopped basil and thyme along with¼ tsp kosher salt and whisk thoroughly. Slowly add ¾ cup olive oil while continuing to whisk it further until the ingredients have emulsified and the vinaigrette is ready.
  2. Slice the potatoes and cook them in a pan along with ¼ tsp kosher salt. Drain the potatoes completely, add ½ the vinaigrette and set it aside to cool.
  3. Blanch the beans in a large open pot of boiling water to which ¼ tsp kosher salt has been added. Cook for no more than 4 minutes and then use a slotted spoon to plunge and immerse them in a bowl of icy water. This will stop them from cooking further and will keep them crisp yet tender.
  4. Brush the tuna with ¼ cup olive oil and then season both sides with ½ of the remaining salt and the pepper powder. Press the remaining chopped thyme basil onto the tuna using a little more oil to keep it in place. Grill it on a lightly oiled large grill pan for 6 – 8 minutes. Allow the tuna to cool for 2 to 3 minutes and then cut it into1/2 inch slices. Place the tuna in a bowl and coat it completely with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette.
  5. Put the cooked potatoes and blanched beans along with the tomatoes, lettuce and black olives in a bowl and toss it with 2 ½ tablespoons of the vinaigrette.  Arrange the salad on a platter and place the tuna over it. Cover it with the vinaigrette and top it off with the halved capers and with the boiled eggs on the side.

Health Tip

  • Tuna is a good source of essential fatty acids. Black beans are considered to be a valuable source of various vitamins and proteins. Grilled Tuna Salad Nicoise is a healthy and diabetes friendly salad.