Tuna Niçoise Salad with Vanessa Gordon

This heatwave has us craving light meals, that come together quickly, without too much effort. The lovely Vanessa Gordon has shared her twist on the classic tuna Niçoise salad. She's used our fresh tuna steaks, as opposed to canned tuna and paired it with jammy eggs, Ortiz anchovies, crunchy green beans and potatoes, all dressed in a zingy vinaigrette!

Serves 2 - 4

Ingredients:

For the salad:

• 2 tuna steaks, approx 280g each
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• 200g (2 cups) green beans, blanched
• 200g (1 ½ cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 12 baby potatoes skin on, boiled
• 150g (⅓ cup) olives
• 4 soft boiled eggs, halved
• 1 tin Ortiz anchovies in olive oil
• pinch sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the vinaigrette:

• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 tsp capers
• pinch sea salt
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Method:

1. Take the tuna steaks out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes. 
2. Lightly brush steaks with olive oil, then coat in sesame seeds.
3. In a very hot non-stick fry pan, add 2 tbsps of olive oil then sear edges of the steaks for 30 seconds each. Stand aside to rest for 2-3 minutes, then slice into 1cm strips. 
4. To make the vinaigrette, pound garlic clove and capers with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle. Transfer the paste to a small bowl and whisk vigorously with oil, vinegar and mustard until emulsified. Add more salt or acid (vinegar or lemon juice) to your liking. 
5. Assemble the salad by tumbling the vegetables together with the dressing, transfer to a serving platter then layering with tuna pieces, olives, eggs and anchovies. Or, arrange ingredients individually on the platter and let each person choose their own Niçoise adventure. Finish with salt and pepper and serve.