Charred Veg Tuna Niçoise With Creamy Kefir Dressing Recipes

TUNA NIçOISE SALAD WITH TAHINI DRESSING

Steps:

• Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450˚. Toss the carrots with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spread out on the hot pan and roast until tender and browned on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Carefully add the eggs to the pot of water; adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the yolks are jammy, 7 minutes. Drain the eggs and run under cold water until cool enough to handle. Peel the eggs and cut each into 4 wedges.
• While the eggs are cooking, make the dressing: Whisk the tahini, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Thin with more water, if necessary.
• Toss the lettuce in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates. Top with the tuna, roasted carrots, green beans, radishes, olives and eggs. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and sprinkle with za'atar.

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.

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.

CHARRED VEG & TUNA NIçOISE WITH CREAMY KEFIR DRESSING

Steps:

• Heat the grill to high. Bring a small pan of water to the boil and blanch the green beans and spring onions for 4 mins. Drain and dry well. Toss with 1 tsp oil, and transfer to a baking tray with the tomatoes, cut-side up. Season everything with black pepper, then grill for 10 mins until starting to soften and char. Leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whisk the kefir, 1 tsp oil, mustard powder, vinegar and some seasoning together until smooth. Arrange the lettuce leaves, tuna, olives and eggs in shallow bowls or on plates. Pile on the onions, green beans and tomatoes, then drizzle over the dressing to serve.