This classic French composed salad is not only a delicously healthy feast for your belly, but a feast for the eyes!
- 2 lbs tuna steak (2 thick steaks)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (+ more for the pan)
- 2 tsp La Baleine Essentiel Salt
- 2 tsp La Baleine Coarse Sea Salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head butter or Boston lettuce
- 1 lb baby potatoes, halved and boiled until fork tender
- 8 oz haricot verts, trimmed and blanched
- 2 cups cucumbers, sliced (I recommend baby cucumbers)
- 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (dry pint)
- 3 oz anchovies
- 1/2 cup nicoise olives (oil cured olives can be substitued)
- 3 large eggs, hardboiled, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- La Baleine Essentiel Salt, for seasoning
- 2 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp La Baleine Essential Salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
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Rub the tuna steaks with oilve oil. Combine the salts and pepper and rub onto both sides of the tuna.
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Drizzle a little more oil into a nonstick pan set over high heat. Place the tuna in the pan and sear on both sides, about 2 mins per side depending on the thickness of your tuna. I recommend very rare for this recipe.
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Remove the tuna to a cutting board and slice very thinly, ACROSS the grain.
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Whisk together all the ingredients except the olive oil. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while continually whisking. (Alternatively blend in a mini prep food processor until emulsified.)
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Toss the warm potatoes with 2 Tbsp of the dressing and let stand.
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Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter in a single, overlapping layer.
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Arrange the ingredients over the lettuce in clusters in the following order: potatoes, haricot verts, cucumbers, tomatoes, anchovies, sliced seared tuna, olives, and hard boiled egg halves.
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Season with salt and serve with dressing.
- Don't overcook the tuna! We're looking for a hard sear on the outside and perfectly rare center.
- Always slice your tuna against the grain to prevent chewy, stringy bites!
- Be sure to use salt in the blanching water and boiling water when you cook the haricot verts and potatoes for added flavor.
- Don't over-cook the haricot verts! You want a nice, firm bite.
- Arrange the salad so it pleases the eye. Separate different colors and don't be afraid to use red, yellow and orange tomatoes or purple potatoes!
- You can use hard-boiled or even six-minute eggs in this Niçoise salad. To make a perfect hard-boiled egg: Place the eggs in a saucepan with just enough cold water to cover. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat and leave covered in the pan for exactly 10 minutes. Place the eggs in an ice water bath and peel once they're cooled.