Albacore Tuna Niciose
Serves 4
This dish is perfect for summer al fresco dining.
I cut the potatoes first and then cook them. This makes the potato salad less starchy.
When purchasing albacore tuna, ask your fish monger for a sashimi grade frozen tuna loin. Slicing the tuna while it is partially frozen is the easiest way to handle it. Once thawed it is delicate and soft to handle. The tuna for this dish is served raw. If you prefer the tuna to be cooked sear the loin whole in a hot pan on all sides until rare. Cool and then slice. Tuna is best served rare.
Ingredients: 50ml
- 7.5ml Fresh lemon juice
- 50ml Red wine vinegar
- 10ml Liquid honey
- 5ml Dijon mustard
- 2.5ml Fresh garlic, minced
- 140ml Olive oil
- Pinch Salt
- Pinch Fresh ground black pepper
- 175ml French green beans, blanched and cooled
- 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved
- 10 Large pitted green olives, quartered
- 300ml Purple potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 300ml Yellow flesh potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 4-5 Fresh basil leaves, torn
- 25ml Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- 300g Albacore tuna, sliced ¼ inch thick
- 4 Quail eggs or small eggs, hard boiled and halved
- Fleur de sel for sprinkling on top of the tuna
Method
For the dressing mix the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon and garlic. Whisk the olive oil in a slow steady stream into the vinegar mixture until incorporated. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper and set aside.
Blanch the green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente (about 30-40 seconds) and chill in ice water. Add the yellow potatoes to the boiling water and cook just until slightly tender for about 4-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and let cool on absorbent towels at room temperature. Repeat this process with the purple potatoes. Do not cool the potatoes in water as they will become water logged. Do not overcook the potatoes as they will break apart and be mushy.
The tuna for this dish is served raw. Slice the tuna while still partially frozen with a sharp knife and set in the refrigerator to finish thawing. If the tuna is completely thawed it becomes difficult to slice and will break apart.
To Assemble
Place the green beans, cherry tomatoes, olives, potatoes, basil and parsley into a mixing bowl. Toss with about half the dressing or until well coated. Assemble the salad onto chilled plates. Lay the sliced tuna on top of the salad and place the hard boiled eggs around. Drizzle the left over dressing around the plates. Sprinkle the tuna with fleur de sel.
Wine Pairing Suggestion: Unoaked Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
