Albacore Salad Nicoise
Fresh Poached Tuna with Green Beans, Red Potatoes and Vinaigrette
Oct 30, 2008
There are many different recipes for Salad Nicoise. Some recipes call for tuna and/or anchovies. Some recipes forgo the meat altogether: the 1977 edition of “Paul Bocuse’s French Cooking” ingredient list for Salad Nicoise calls for boiled potatoes, ripe tomatoes, string beans, lettuce hearts, thinly sliced onions, fresh chervil with oil and vinegar. Some recipes have the vegetables cooked and some simply state, as in the 1988 English version of “Larousse Gastronomique” that “Neither potatoes nor cooked vegetables should be added to this salad.” While all the recipes may be very different in procedure and ingredients, most recipes will call for beans, tomatoes, onions, fresh herbs (ranging from tarragon, chervil, basil and parsley), and an oil and vinegar blend.
The tuna usually used in those recipes that call for it is canned, either packed in water or oil. Anchovies, if used, are sometimes rinsed and patted dry before placing on the plate.
This version uses fresh albacore tuna that is first poached in a court bouillon and cooled. Fresh albacore is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and DHA. The other ingredients can be changed as desired, or stick to the list for a great and flavorful salad fit for both hearty lunches and satisfying dinners.
Albacore Tuna Salad Nicoise
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. fresh poached albacore tuna, see recipe below
- 12 oz. small red potatoes, steamed and cut in half
- 8 oz. fresh green beans, snapped, trimmed and steamed
- 4 small vine ripened tomatoes
- Hearts of Romaine, leaves washed and removed
- 4 hard boiled eggs, quartered or chopped
- 12 each whole kalamata olives, pitted
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, pressed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Fresh tarragon leaves
Procedure:
- In 4 large salad bowls, arrange in 3 oz. tuna, 3 oz. red potatoes, 2 oz. green beans, 1 each tomato quartered, 1 each hard boiled egg, 3 each kalamata olives and enough leaves from the Hearts of Romaine for presentation.
- Whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, pressed garlic clove and Dijon mustard. Drizzle some over each salad bowl. Top with tarragon leaves and serve immediately.
Court Bouillon Poached Albacore
Ingredients:
- 12 oz fresh albacore tuna
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, squeezed into the water
- Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
Procedure:
- Use a pan large enough to allow water to cover the top of the piece of fish.
- Add about 1 quart of water to the pan and add in the rest of the ingredients to the water.
- Bring to a soft boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add in the fresh albacore and add in more water if needed to cover the top of the fish. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the fish tests done and when flaked the meat is opaque throughout.
- Remove from the court bouillon and let cool.
Bibliography:
Bocuse, Paul. Paul Bocuse’s French Cooking. 1st American Edition. New York: Random, 1977.
Lang, Jenifer Harvey, Ed. Larousse Gastronomique. New York: Crown, 1988.
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