Parisian-Style Grilled Ahi Tuna Salad with a Soft-Boiled Quail Egg
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 1 hr 35 min
- Prep: 45 min
- Cook: 50 min
Ingredients
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons herbs de Provence
Tuna salad:
8 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound haricots verts (French green beans)
Kosher salt
4 quail eggs (quartered chicken eggs are a good substitution)
4 equally thick 3-ounce pieces 'sushi grade' ahi tuna
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 pound fresh baby tatsoi or baby arugula
1/2 cup, pitted and coarsely chopped nicoise olives
4 slices country bread or baguette, toasted
Balsamic vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons minced shallots
Caper vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup chopped capers
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced thyme
Directions
- To roast the potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil, potatoes, salt and pepper. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the potatoes until they begin to color, about 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over, add the herbs de Provence and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes more. Set the potatoes aside to cool.
- To prepare the salad: Wrap the peeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil and roast in a 400 degree F oven until soft, about 15 minutes. Cool slightly then mash the garlic to a paste adding a tablespoon or 2 of olive oil. Set the garlic paste aside.
- Blanch the haricots verts in boiling salted water, until crisp but tender, about 4 minutes. Refresh the beans in an ice bath, then set aside.
- Boil the quail eggs in salted water for 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Shock them in an ice bath, peel, and set aside.
- To prepare the balsamic vinaigrette: Whisk 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard with the balsamic vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup olive oil. Add minced thyme and shallots.
- To prepare the caper vinaigrette: Whisk 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard with the grain mustard, red wine vinegar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup olive oil. Mix in the capers, shallots, and minced thyme.
- To finish the salad: Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat and oil a grill or cast iron pan and sear the tuna on both sides (the tuna is best rare¿the cooking time will depend upon the thickness of the pieces).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, tatsoi, haricots verts, potatoes, and olives. Dress the salad with balsamic vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the salad on 4 plates. Spread the toast with garlic puree. Put a piece of toast on each salad and place a piece a tuna on top. Spoon caper vinaigrette over the tuna, garnish with a quail egg, season with salt and pepper and serve.