Grilled tuna salad Niçoise recipe

Lemon caper vinaigrette

2 shallots, finely minced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
3⁄4 cup olive oil, divided
1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄4 cup capers, roughly chopped
2 tbsp chives, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp cracked black pepper

Sweat the shallots and the garlic to­­gether in a skillet over medium heat with 1/4 cup of the olive oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Stir in the capers, chives, salt and pepper.

Salad Niçoise

1 lb fingerling potatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 recipe lemon caper vinaigrette
1⁄2 lb haricots vert, tailed
1⁄2 red onion
1 pint sweet cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1⁄2 cup niçoise olives, pitted
1 lb fresh tuna loin, cut into 1-inch-thick steaks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp fresh thyme, stems removed
Kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

Place sliced potatoes in a large pot of cold water with kosher salt. Bring to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and then toss with 1/2 cup of the prepared lemon caper vinaigrette. Set aside.

Blanch haricots vert in a large pot of salted water until tender crisp, about 4 minutes. Plunge beans into icy water to stop the cooking and to preserve the colour. Pat dry. Thinly slice the red onion and soak the slices in cold water for 10 minutes to remove any sharpness. Place haricots vert, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, yellow pepper and niçoise olives into a large bowl along with potatoes. Toss with more of the dressing.

Rub the tuna steaks with the olive oil. Season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Press the thyme onto the tuna; the oil will help it stick. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the tuna. For rare tuna, sear for 3 or 4 minutes and then turn the tuna over and sear for another minute. Let the tuna rest for a few minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange tuna over salad and serve.

*Make your meal complete: add crostini with garlic aïoli or tapenade, olive bread straws or roasted pepper dip.

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