Salade Niçoise Recipe
- 450g/1lb fresh tuna or 4 x 175g/6oz tuna steaks, 2.5cm/1in thick
- 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
- 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 115g/4oz extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained
- 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways
- 1 red onion, finely sliced
- 4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water from room temperature, halved
- 6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips
- 16 pitted black olives in brine
- 8 basil leaves, ripped
- 105ml/7tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- To make the dressing or marinade whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate. Toss in the marinade from time to time.
- Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob or a hot barbecue for 5 minutes. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.
- Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves.
