Nicoise Salad With Grilled Tuna Recipes

GRILLED SEAFOOD SALAD NICOISE

Steps:

• Vinaigrette: Whisk all the ingredients together, except oil, until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and whisk until combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.;
• Seafood: Brush the tuna, shrimp and scallops with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill the tuna to rare, grill the shrimp and sea scallops until just cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.;
• Vegetables: Preheat grill. Brush peppers and squash with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Grill each for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.
• Place the green beans and tomatoes in bowls. Toss each with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Line 8 plates with the red leaf lettuce. On each plate arrange 2 scallops, 3 shrimp and 1 piece of the tuna. Divide the squash, beans, roasted pepper, tomatoes and olives among the plates. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad.

GRILLED TUNA SALADE NIçOISE

Steps:

• Make dressing:
• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook beans in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes, then immediately transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Add potatoes to boiling water and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, then drain in a colander. Halve potatoes while still warm (peel if desired) and toss with 2 tablespoons dressing in a bowl, then cool.
• Prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
• Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper, then grill on lightly oiled rack, uncovered, turning over once, until browned on outside but still pink in center, 6 to 8 minutes total. Let tuna stand 3 minutes, then break into large (3-inch) pieces. Transfer tuna to a large platter and drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons dressing and top with capers.
• Transfer potatoes to platter with tuna, reserving bowl. Drain beans and pat dry. Toss beans in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss lettuce in bowl with 2 tablespoons dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter. Toss tomatoes in bowl with 1 tablespoon dressing and salt and pepper to taste, then transfer to platter.
• Arrange olives and eggs on platter and sprinkle salad with parsley and/or basil. Serve salad with remaining dressing on the side.

SALADE NIçOISE WITH FRESH TUNA

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cool water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low and boil gently for 25 to 35 minutes, until the potatoes are tender but still firm when pierced with a fork. Drain off the water and set the potatoes aside until cool enough to slice.
• Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. In a large bowl, mix together the mustard, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Whisk until it comes together.
• Peel the potatoes, if desired, and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Toss with the dressing.
• Bring the 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the beans, cover and return to a boil. Boil over high heat for 1 to 3 minutes (less for haricot verts and more for larger beans) until just tender but slightly firm to the bite. Drain and run under cold water for a few seconds to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color. Cut the beans in half.
• Peel the yellow pepper as best you can with a vegetable peeler (much easier to do if the pepper is firm and thick-walled). Then cut the pepper through the pleats, remove and discard the seeds and continue peeling the skin from the pieces. Pile up the peeled pepper wedges and cut them into thin julienne strips (about 1 1/2 cups). Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise, press out the seeds and cut the unpeeled flesh into 1-inch pieces.
• No more than 1 hour before serving, add the beans, yellow pepper, red onions, tomatoes and black olives to the potatoes. Mix well.
• When almost ready to serve, heat 1 large cast-iron or heavy skillet over high heat for about 2 minutes, until very hot. Sprinkle the tuna with the remaining 2 teaspoons of black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt and then roll in the canola oil. Place the tuna steak in the hot skillet and sauté over high heat for about 2 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned on the outside and cooked until rare on the inside. Cut into 1/2-inch slices.
• To serve, line a large platter with the lettuce leaves. Mound the salade niçoise in the center of the platter and place the sliced tuna and the basil leaves on top. Serve immediately.

SALAD NICOISE WITH SEARED TUNA

Steps:

• To make the vinaigrette: combine all ingredients in a mason jar. Screw the cap on the jar and shake the vinaigrette vigorously to emulsify. Set the dressing aside while preparing the salad so the flavors can marry.
• Cooking the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in the same pot cuts down on prep time and clean up. To do this, put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add water to cover and a nice pinch of salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer the potatoes for 12 minutes to give them a head start, and then add the eggs. Place a steamer basket or colander on top of the simmering water. Put the green beans in the steamer and cover with a lid. Steam the beans for 5 minutes until crisp-tender while continuing to cook the potatoes until fork tender. Drain out the water and put the potatoes, eggs, and green beans in a colander; rinse briefly under cold water. Peel the shells off the eggs and cut them in 1/2 lengthwise.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rub the tuna on all sides with olive oil, and a bit of the vinaigrette; season with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Lay the tuna in the hot pan and sear for approximately 2 minutes on each side; as the tuna cooks, the red meat will become whiter. Transfer the tuna to a cutting board and slice.
• To assemble the salad: combine the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, capers, and chives in a large mixing bowl. Take the vinaigrette and give it another good shake to recombine. Drizzle the salad with enough vinaigrette to fully moisten and toss gently to coat; season with salt and pepper. Take care not to mush up the ingredients - the important thing about salad nicoise is that it is arranged nicely on a platter with all the elements keeping their individual integrity. Put the tossed salad down the center of a serving platter and lay the seared tuna attractively across the top and the eggs around the rim. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette and serve.

GRILLED TUNA NICOISE PLATTER

Steps:

• To grill the tuna, get a charcoal or stove-top cast iron grill very hot. Brush the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill each side for only 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. The center should be raw, like sushi, or the tuna will be tough and dry. Arrange the tuna, haricots verts, potato salad, tomatoes, eggs, olives, watercress, and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter.
• For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Drizzle some over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.
• Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
• Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

NICOISE SALAD WITH GRILLED TUNA

Steps:

• Brush tuna with lemon, olive oil, and pepper. Grill to desired degree of doneness. Set aside.
• Thoroughly combine dressing ingredients. Set aside. (We usually have a little dressing leftover).
• Heat water to boiling. Cook potatoes until tender, cool in iced water until room temperature. Remove, and pat dry. Cook green beans until crisp-tender, cool in iced water. Remove and pat dry.
• Toss salad greens and onion together. Drizzle with dressing, toss, and divide between two plates. Divide tuna between plates, and center on lettuce.
• Toss potatoes with 1-1/2 T. dressing, divide between the plates. Toss green beans with 1/2 T. dressing, and divide between the plates. Divide remaining vegetables and eggs between the plates, arranging attractively. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

NICOISE SALAD WITH GRILLED TUNA

Steps:

• Heat a grill or grill-pan to medium.
• In a small bowl soak the onions in cold water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain.
• Brush the tuna with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the fish, turning once, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
• In a large bowl toss the arugula with a couple tablespoons of the vinaigrette, and divide the greens onto 4 dinner plates. In the same bowl combine the green beans, artichokes, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, and fennel. Dress the vegetables with a 1/2 cup of the dressing, season with salt and pepper. Place vegetables on the greens and top the salad with the tuna steaks. Drizzle a little dressing over the tuna and serve. Pass the remaining dressing at the table.
• In a small bowl, whisk the mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper together. Combine the oils in a cup with a spout. Gradually pour the oil into the vinegar mixture while whisking constantly to make a creamy dressing.

NICOISE SALAD WITH GRILLED, OLIVE-OIL- MARINATED TUNA

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat a broiler. Season the tuna generously with salt and pepper and grill or broil very close to the heat source until it is seared on the outside but still rosy in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the tuna to a small bowl and add the olive oil and sliced garlic. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, cool and slice the potatoes. Set aside.
• Bring another large saucepan filled 2/3 full of salted water to a boil and add the beans. Cook until the beans just begin to become tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into a large bowl of cold water. When cooled, drain the beans and chop them in half if they are large. Set aside.
• Drain the tuna, reserving 5 tablespoons of the olive oil and discarding the rest. Place the reserved oil in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the potatoes, beans, tomato, parsley and olives. Toss well and season to taste with more salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, slice the tuna on the bias into thin slices. Lay the slices carefully over the vegetables and serve.

GRILLED AHI TUNA NICOISE SALAD

Steps:

• Trim the haricots verts, then blanch in boiling water and refresh in cold water. Drain and season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
• Cut the onion into 1/4-inch round slices. In a small saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Reserve in a bowl.
• In a small bowl, toss together the roasted peppers and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
• Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch round slices. Place in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing, and toss until well blended. Reserve.
• In a small bowl, toss together the tomatoes and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
• To make crostini: Arrange the bread slices in a baking tray. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then rub with garlic clove. For each of the crostini, spread 1 tablespoon Herbed Goat Cheese and top with 1 teaspoon Black and Green Olive Tapenade.
• In a small saucepan, over high heat, add the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sear tuna fillets until all sides are brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, keeping the centers rare. Remove from heat and slice each tuna fillet into 5 round slices.
• In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the mixed baby lettuces with 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing.
• To serve, divide the haricots verts, onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives into 6 portions. For each plate, arrange 3 portions of each ingredient by placing them in a clockwise fashion, starting with the haricots verts at 1, 5, and 9 o'clock positions near the rim of the plate. Continue to place the onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives between the haricots verts. Place quail egg halves over the peppers and an anchovy over the potatoes. Mound half of the lettuce in the center of each plate. Arrange the tuna slices on the side of the salad and top the lettuce with the crostini.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic, and shallots. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar. Refrigerate in a covered container. When ready to use, whisk again.
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups
• Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Pizza, Pasta & More!, Random House, 2000 .
• In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil and crostini. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Spread on homemade crostini, recipe follows.
• Yield: 1 heaping cup
• Herbed Goat Cheese: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (7 or 8-ounce) log goat cheese
• Combine the parsley, chives, thyme, and pepper and place on a flat surface. Roll the log of cheese in the mixture, coating all sides and retaining the shape of the log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• Yield: 1 log
• Oven-dried Tomatoes: 12 medium Roma tomatoes (2 pounds) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional as needed 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 6 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in ice water. Drain. Peel, core, cut into quarters, and remove seeds.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray, cut side down. Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and sugar, and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
• Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover the container. Refrigerate and use as needed.
• Yield: 1 1/4 cups