SEARED TUNA & ASPARAGUS NIçOISE

Seared tuna & asparagus niçoise image

Source tuna from a good-quality fishmonger to make this stunning seared tuna & asparagus niçoise salad. It should be sashimi-grade so can be safely eaten raw

Provided by Esther Clark

Categories Dinner

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

300g small new potatoes, halved
250g asparagus
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
200g thick-cut sashimi-grade tuna loin, or 2 tuna steaks
3 large tomatoes, quartered
50g pitted Kalamata olives, halved
10 caper berries
5 anchovy fillets
½ small garlic clove, crushed
70ml extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced

Steps:

Cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 12 mins, or until a cutlery knife can be easily inserted. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon and leave to steam-dry. Add the asparagus to the pan and boil for 2 mins, then put in a bowl of ice-cold water and set aside.
Bring another pan of water to the boil over a medium-high heat and cook the eggs for 7½ mins. Drain, then add the eggs to the bowl of water with the asparagus.
For the dressing, bash the anchovies and garlic together using a pestle and mortar until you have a very smooth paste. Tip this into a bowl, then whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Season.
To sear the tuna, heat the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook for 1-2 mins on each side, just until it has a slightly golden colour. Slice into thick pieces (it should still be pink in the middle), then peel and halve the eggs.
Toss the potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, olives, caper berries and dressing together on a large serving platter. Top with the eggs and tuna slices, then season well and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 426 calories, Fat 29 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 15 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 5 grams sugar, Fiber 4 grams fiber, Protein 25 grams protein, Sodium 1.6 milligram of sodium