Seared Tuna Nicoice

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • For the Salad:
    • 1 pound of baby potatoes, halved
    • a handful of fresh green beans, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
    • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • For the Dressing:
    • ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 cup of pitted black olives, Kalamata style is best
    • the zest and juice of 2 lemons
    • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
  • For the Tuna:
    • 6-ounce tuna steaks
    • a splash of refined safflower oil

Method

 

  1. For the Salad:
    1. Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and blanch the potatoes then the green beans. Simply toss them in individually and cook until they become tender, about 10 minutes for the potatoes and 2 to 3 minutes for the beans. Immediately place the cooked vegetables in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and cool quickly.
  2. For the Dressing:
    1. Pulse all the ingredients smooth in a blender.
  3. For the Tuna Steaks:
    1. Preheat a heavy cast iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat then splash in the safflower oil. Quickly sear the tuna steaks until they are brown and crusty on the exterior but still cool and raw in the center, about 2 minutes on each side.
    2. Cut the cooled potatoes and green beans in half and transfer to a medium size bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss all the vegetables with the dressing. Slice the seared steaks, share among plates and pair with a generous helping of salad. Serve and share!