Seared Tuna Nicoise
Serves 2
30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 egg, soft boiled (8 minutes) and shelled
12 French beans, cooked
125g (4½oz) salad leaves
2 tomatoes, quartered
12 black olives
2 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh tuna steaks
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
lemon
4 new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked and halved
For the dressing
30ml (1 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar (or lemon)
1 tsp dijon mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD:
1. Start my making the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together and set aside.
2. Cut the egg into quarters and place in a mixing bowl with the potatoes, French beans, salad leaves and tomatoes. Pour in the dressing and toss well.
3. Divide between two plates and sprinkle the olives on top. Season the tuna steaks with sea salt and freshlyground black pepper. Put a frying pan over a high heat, add the oil and sear the tuna on both sides for 1½ minutes.
4. Take care that you do not cook the tuna for longer on each side or it will taste like chicken. Put a tuna steak onto each plate and serve
Note:
If you’re rushing home and can’t get your hands on fresh tuna, then a good quality tinned tuna will work tooor other types of fish such as seabass or seabream. Buythe tinned tuna with olive oil. Ortiz does very good tuna and it’s availble in most supermarkets. When you are making the dressing for the salad, double or triple up the quantity and store it in a jam jar or similar in the fridge, as it will keep for a few weeks.
