Brown Soda & Peppered Tuna Nicoise Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
450g/1lb fresh tuna or 4 x 175g/6oz tuna steaks, 2.5cm/1in thick
8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways (optional)
12 baby plum tomatoes, cut in half
115g/4oz extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained, then cut in half.
Mixed baby salad leaves
4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water, halved
16 pitted black olives in brine
8 basil leaves, ripped
Handful of black peppercorns, crushed in a mill or pestle and mortar.
For the dressing or marinade:
105ml/7tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp freshly snipped chives
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper
Croutes
4 slices of Rankins Brown Soda Bread, cut in half, lengthways.
1 peeled garlic clove
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
To make the dressing or marinade whisk together the red wine vinegar, olive oil, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper.
Place the tuna in a shallow dish and pour over half of the dressing. Cover and chill for 1-2 hours to allow the fish to marinate. Toss in the marinade from time to time.
Heat a ridged griddle pan on the hob or a hot barbecue for 5 minutes. Remove the tuna from the marinade and roll in the crushed peppercorns. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.
Place the baby salad leaves on a plate, add the tomatoes, potato and green beans. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves. Slice the tuna and place on top.
Rub slices of brown bread soda with a peeled garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil. Toast on both sides until golden brown and serve on the side, with the salad.