Seared Tuna Niçoise Salad

Foundations Referenced

• → Classic Vinaigrette — shallot variation
• → Blanching and Shocking
• → Knife cuts

Ingredients

Tuna

• 2 sushi-grade ahi tuna steaks, 8 oz each, 1" thick
• Salt, pepper
• 1 tbsp high-smoke-point oil
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds (black and white mixed)

Salad Components

• 1/2 lb haricots verts, trimmed, blanched and shocked
• 1/2 lb small potatoes (fingerling or new), boiled until tender, halved
• 4 eggs, soft-boiled (7 min), peeled, halved
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup Niçoise or Kalamata olives
• 4 anchovy fillets (optional)
• 2 tbsp capers, drained
• Mixed greens (butter lettuce, frisée)
• 1/2 cup shallot vinaigrette (→ foundation)

Method

1. Prep components: Blanch and shock haricots verts (→ technique). Boil potatoes until tender, drain. Soft-boil eggs: lower into boiling water, cook exactly 7 min, shock in ice bath, peel.

2. Sear tuna: Pat steaks very dry. Season with salt and pepper. Press sesame seeds onto all sides. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear 45 sec–1 min per side. The exterior should be deeply seared while the interior remains ruby-red and raw. Slice against the grain into 1/4" slices.

3. Compose the salad: This is a composed salad, not a tossed one. Arrange each component in its own section on a large platter or individual plates:

• Bed of greens in the center
• Haricots verts in a neat bundle
• Potatoes in a cluster
• Egg halves (yolk-side up)
• Tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies in their own areas
• Sliced tuna fanned across the top

4. Dress: Drizzle vinaigrette over the entire platter. Season with flaky salt and pepper.

What You're Learning

• Searing rare tuna: the highest heat, shortest time. The goal is crust without cooking the interior.
• Composed salad plating: each element is placed intentionally, not tossed together. The diner sees every component.
• Soft-boiled eggs: timing precision. 7 minutes = jammy yolk. 6 min = very runny. 8 min = nearly hard.
• This dish is a showcase of Ch.01 skills (blanching, vinaigrette, knife cuts) applied to a Ch.03 protein
• Niçoise is a study in contrasts: warm tuna, cool vegetables, creamy egg, briny olives, sharp vinaigrette