Tuna Nicoise Salad with Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette

Tuna Nicoise is a classic French dish that finds its origins in Nice, a town in southern France. It’s one of my favorite main course salads.

For the Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons capers

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Tuna Nicoise Salad:

Vegetable oil, for the grates

4 6-ounce fresh tuna steaks, each about 1-inch thick

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large head butter lettuce, leaves separated and torn into 1-inch pieces

8 small red new potatoes, boiled until tender, cooled, and cut in quarters

1/4 pound haricots verts, trimmed, boiled until crisp-tender, and cooled

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup pitted Nicoise or kalamata olives

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions (about 1/2 small onion)

To make the Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette: In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and mustard. Slowly add the olive oil in a stream, whisking to emulsify. Stir in the capers. Season with the pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the Tuna Nicoise Salad: Preheat a clean grill to medium-high with the lid closed for 8 to 10 minutes. Lightly brush the grates with oil.

Brush both sides of the tuna with olive oil. Generously season with the salt and pepper.

Place the tuna on the grill. Cook, turning once, until just seared on the outside and still rare on the inside, about 3 minutes per side. Place the tuna on a cutting board and thinly slice.

On a plate arrange the lettuce, potatoes, haricots verts, eggs, tomatoes, olives, and onions. Top with the tuna slices. Drizzle with the vinaigrette to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Cooking Tips: Haricots verts are tender, skinny French green beans. Many grocery stores now carry them in either the fresh or the frozen vegetable section. If you can’t find them, just use traditional fresh green beans.

Tuna steaks are traditionally served rare. If you prefer a more done piece of fish, just cook to your desired temperature.

Do-Ahead: To save some time, you can cook the potatoes and haricots verts ahead. Cool and refrigerate until ready to toss all the ingredients.

Variation: Salmon would be a delicious substitute for the tuna in this salad.