Steak Nicoise Recipes

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.

ANY WAY NIçOISE

Steps:

• Whisk oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, pepper, and 1 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl; set dressing aside.
• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully add eggs and cook 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water (keep pot over high heat); chill until cold, about 5 minutes. Peel; set aside.
• Meanwhile, add green beans, asparagus, or potatoes to the same pot of boiling water and cook until just tender (if you are using a combination, cook vegetables separately), 2-4 minutes for green beans or asparagus, 10-15 minutes for potatoes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to bowl of ice water; let sit until cold, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels; pat dry.
• To serve, slice eggs in half and arrange on a platter with cooked and raw vegetables and protein. Top with pickled-briny ingredient(s), sprinkle with sea salt, and drizzle some reserved dressing over. Serve with remaining dressing alongside.
• Do Ahead: Dressing can be made 5 days ahead; cover and chill. Eggs can be boiled and vegetables blanched 2 days ahead; cover and chill separately.

GRILLED STEAK SALAD NICOISE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of the oil with the garlic, rosemary, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the steak in a zip-top bag, add the marinade and rub the flank steak all over. Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to marinate and to allow the steak to come to room temperature.
• While the steak marinates, place the potatoes in a medium pot, add a generous pinch of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 15 minutes. Add the green beans to the water in the last 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Preheat the grill over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard, shallots, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Grill the steak, flipping once, until the internal temperature reads about 130 degrees F, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Let rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes, and then thinly slice across the grain.
• To serve, toss the baby spinach with 2 tablespoons of the dressing and divide among 4 plates. Evenly top with the potatoes, green beans, olives, tomatoes and sliced steak. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top and lightly season with salt and pepper.

STEAK NICOISE SALAD WITH BLANCHED GREEN BEANS & CASHEW-LIME VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Step 1 1) Mix the marinade ingredients in resealable bag or bowl and marinate the steak in the refrigerator at room temperature for 90 minutes up to 12 hours, flipping or tossing several times.
• Step 2 2) For the green beans, bring 1 quart of water and 1/8 cup salt to a boil. Cook green beans 3 minutes until tender not crunchy. At this point the beans can be served immediately with butter, but in this case, drain and submerge beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. (At this point the beans can be kept in the fridge until ready to use). Beans can be made a day in advance.
• Step 3 3) Wash and place potatoes in a small pot with enough water to cover the potatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer at a low boil until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool or store in the refrigerator if you are making a day in advance. Just before salad assembly begins lightly coat potato with olive or pistachio oil and slice in half.
• Step 4 4) Measure all all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Combine all the ingredients in a mason jar, shake vigorously and either store in the fridge or set aside if using in the next few hours.
• Step 5 5) Assemble the salad ingredients on a large platter-everything except the steak.
• Step 6 6) 60 minutes prior to guest arrival arrival place steak on the counter to bring to room temperature. If the steak is over 1 inch thick (like tri-tip) pre-heat oven to 275 degrees. If the steak is 1 inch thick or less, skip the oven step and prepare the grill. 30 minutes prior to dinner time, place the steak on raised rack on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until internal temperature is 95 degrees (or close enough). It's better to be just under than over.
• Step 7 7) While steak is in the oven, pre-heat and prepare gas grill. If grilling a steak at about 1 inch in thickness, place steak on the hot side at medium-high heat in a 10 o'clock / 4 o'clock position for 3 minutes. Move steak (same side) to the 7 o'clock / 2 o'clock position and grill for 3 minutes. Flip steak and repeat the pattern to complete the cross hatch marks. When the steak is at the desired temperature, remove the steak to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Note: while steak rests it will come up about another 5 degrees in temperature. So, you want to remove the steak from heat about 5 degrees earlier than the desired end result (120 - 125 degrees for rare | 130 - 135 degrees for medium rare | 140 - 145 degrees for medium | 150 - 155 degrees for well)
• Step 8 8) Slice steak against the grain in thin slices and add to salad platter.

STEAK & BEAN NIçOISE

Steps:

• Boil the eggs in a pan of simmering water for 6 mins, then drain and set aside in a bowl of cold water. Boil the green beans for 3 mins and drain.
• Whisk together the oil, mustard and vinegar. Tip the mixed beans into a bowl and stir through the green beans, dressing, parsley and olives. Toss through the rocket.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Fry the steak for 2-3 mins on each side. Remove from the heat, set aside to rest for 5 mins, then slice into thin strips. Toss with the bean mix.
• Pile the onto two plates. Gently peel and halve the eggs. Top the beans with the eggs, parmesan and a grinding of black pepper. Serve with the sourdough.

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.

BEEF TENDERLOIN NIçOISE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Generously season the beef with salt and pepper. Place beef in a roasting pan, and rub it with vegetable oil. Roast for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 degrees. Roast until internal temperature reaches 125 degrees (for rare) or 140 degrees (for medium rare), about 30 to 50 minutes depending on thickness of roast. While beef roasts, prepare vegetables.
• Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, and add potatoes. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, allow to cool slightly, and cut into 1/4-inch dice. Place in a bowl, and toss with a small amount of olive oil. Season with salt to taste, and set aside.
• Bring another pan of salted water to a boil, and add green beans. Cook until bright green and barely tender. Drain immediately, and plunge into a bowl of cold water, then drain again. Set aside.
• Bring a pan of water to a boil, and remove from heat. Add tomatoes, and allow to sit for several minutes, until skins split. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon. Peel and halve them, discarding seeds. Cut tomato pulp into 1/4-inch dice, and sprinkle with a little salt and sugar. Set aside.
• When beef is cooked to taste, remove from oven, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow to rest for a few minutes, then carve into thin slices, reserving any juices. Arrange on a platter, and drizzle with juices. Toss beans and diced potatoes together, and scatter around beef. Scatter tomato dice over beef, and sprinkle with olives. Strew with basil leaves, and serve.