Tuna Nicoise.
Serves 2
Poached egg on seared tuna steaks, served with a warm potato & green bean salad with a punchy dressing - a twist on a classic Nicoise! Summery, delicious, and high-protein.
Tips for the tuna steaks
Pat the tuna dry: Removing excess moisture helps it sear properly instead of steaming—this makes all the difference for flavour and texture.
Get the pan really hot: Tuna needs a smoking-hot pan for a quick, golden crust. Oil the fish (not the pan), and sear for just 1–2 minutes per side to keep the middle pink and tender.
Rest and drizzle: Drizzle the tuna with olive oil whilst it’s still warm, then sprinkle with salt and let it rest before serving. This brings out the flavour and adds a little richness
Tips for the poached eggs:
Use very fresh eggs: Fresher eggs hold their shape better when poached (egg whites lose structure as they ages). Crack each one into a small bowl before sliding it gently into simmering water.
Watch for soft-set whites: Poach for around 2–3 minutes. You want the whites just set and the yolks still runny. Drain on kitchen roll to avoid flooding your plate with poaching water
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
large saucepan & lid
cast iron griddle (or large frying pan)
large mixing bowl
small plate & kitchen roll
slotted spoon
sieve/colander
kettle
Ingredients.
2 tuna steaks, ideally thick cut
Oil, for frying
Salt & Pepper, to taste
500g new potatoes
200g fine green beans
2 eggs, as fresh as possible
10-15 kalamata olives
Nicoise-style dressing:
2 banana shallots, a.k.a. echalion
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 anchovy fillets, in oil (not the brined variety)
2 tbsp capers
3 tbsp olive oil
A few sprigs of parsley
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Method.
Lay the tuna steaks out onto kitchen roll, pat them dry and season them generously on both sides, then set aside and allow to come to room temperature
Halve the potatoes and add them to a large saucepan with cold water.
Season the water generously and place on high heat with the lid on until it comes to the boil. Once simmering, turn it down to medium and cook for around 12mins or until nearly cooked
Trim the beans and cut into thirds
Finely dice the shallots, anchovy & parsley, and mix the together with the remaining ingredients for the dressing in the large mixing bowl. Remove the stones from the olives (if not already pitted) and halve/roughly chop
Once the potatoes are nearly cooked, add the green beans for the remaining 3 minutes
Meanwhile, boil the kettle
Drain the beans and potatoes and add to the large mixing bowl along with the dressing. Toss thoroughly to combine, cover and set aside
Refill the pan with boiling water and bring to a gentle simmer
Meanwhile, heat a dry griddle (or frying) pan until smoking hot
Rub the tuna steaks with a little oil and add to the hot pan. Season with a little black pepper, if desired
Fry for just 1-2minutes then flip them over and repeat, until seared but still pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and immediately drizzle with olive oil & a sprinkle of salt, then set aside to rest
Crack an egg into a shallow dish, then create a gentle whirlpool in the simmering pan of water and lower the egg into the centre of the whirlpool
Crack the second egg into the shallow dish and, when the first egg is set just a little, gently push it to one side of the pan and lower the second egg in next to it (no whirlpool this time)
They should take around 2-3 minutes, but look out for the whites beginning to look set, whilst the yolks remain soft
Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen roll on a small plate, one at a time
Serve the tuna steaks with the poached egg on top, and the warn nicoise salad on the side
