Food Network: Grilled Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

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Grilled Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Pizza, Pasta & More!, Random House, 2000

Ingredients
4 ounces haricots verts
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh thyme leaves, minced
1 medium onion, peeled, trimmed, and sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 yellow bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch strips
3/4 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing, recipe follows
6 ounces fingerling potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 cup red and yellow pear and Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
2 slices bread, preferably sourdough
1/2 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons Herbed Goat Cheese, recipe follows
2 teaspoons Black and Green Olive Tapenade, recipe follows

2 (6-ounce) center-cut Ahi tuna fillets, seasoned with freshly cracked coriander seeds, cracked
black pepper, and kosher salt, to taste
4 cups mixed baby lettuces, washed and dried
6 tablespoons pitted Nigoise olives
3 quail eggs, boiled, peeled, and halved
6 anchovy fillets

Directions
Trim the haricots verts, then blanch in boiling water and refresh in
cold water. Drain and season with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme, to taste. Reserve
in a bowl.
Cut the onion into 1/4-inch round slices. In a small saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute
the onions until caramelized, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper, to
taste. Reserve in a bowl.
In a small bowl, toss together the roasted peppers and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.
Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch round slices. Place in a small bowl, add 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad
Dressing, and toss until well blended. Reserve.
In a small bowl, toss together the tomatoes and 1/8 cup Nigoise Salad Dressing. Reserve.

To make crostini: Arrange the bread slices in a baking tray. Brush with olive oil and bake in a
preheated 350 degree F oven for 6 to 8 minutes. Allow to cool, then rub with garlic clove. For each
of the crostini, spread 1 tablespoon Herbed Goat Cheese and top with 1 teaspoon Black and Green
Olive Tapenade.
In a small saucepan, over high heat, add the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and sear
tuna fillets until all sides are brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, keeping the centers rare. Remove from
heat and slice each tuna fillet into 5 round slices.
In a medium mixing bowl, toss together the mixed baby lettuces with 1/4 cup Nigoise Salad
Dressing.
To serve, divide the haricots verts, onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives into 6
portions. For each plate, arrange 3 portions of each ingredient by placing them in a clockwise
fashion, starting with the haricots verts at 1, 5, and 9 o'clock positions near the rim of the
plate. Continue to place the onion, bell peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and olives between the
haricots verts. Place quail egg halves over the peppers and an anchovy over the potatoes. Mound half
of the lettuce in the center of each plate. Arrange the tuna slices on the side of the salad and top
the lettuce with the crostini.

Ingredients

NICOISE SALAD DRESSING
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Pizza, Pasta & More!, Random House, 2000
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Sugar

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic,
and shallots. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and
sugar. Refrigerate in a covered container. When ready to use, whisk again.
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients
BLACK AND GREEN OLIVE TAPENADE
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, Pizza, Pasta & More!, Random House, 2000
1 cup Nigoise olives, pitted
1 cup small green French olives (Picholine), pitted
1/4 cup oven-dried tomatoes, drained, recipe follows
1 tablespoon capers
1 clove garlic
1 anchovy fillet
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions
In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil
and crostini. Using the pulse button, process until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to

process, slowly adding the olive oil. Refrigerate in a covered container. Spread on homemade
crostini, recipe follows.
Yield: 1 heaping cup
Herbed Goat Cheese: 2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh
chives 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 (7 or
8-ounce) log goat cheese
Combine the parsley, chives, thyme, and pepper and place on a flat surface. Roll the log of cheese
in the mixture, coating all sides and retaining the shape of the log. Wrap in plastic wrap and
refrigerate until needed.
Yield: 1 log
Oven-dried Tomatoes: 12 medium Roma tomatoes (2 pounds) 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus
additional as needed 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves 6 garlic cloves, crushed 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
In a pot of boiling water, blanch tomatoes. Drain and refresh in ice water. Drain. Peel, core, cut
into quarters, and remove seeds.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the tomato quarters on the tray, cut side down.
Drizzle generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with thyme and garlic. In a small bowl, combine salt,

pepper and sugar, and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes.
Bake until the tomatoes begin to shrivel, about 1 hour. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle,
transfer to a container. Pour olive oil over and cover the container. Refrigerate and use as
needed.
Yield: 1 1/4 cups