Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 15¾ oz fresh tuna (or 4 tuna steaks, about 6¼ oz each and 1 in thick)
• 8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways
• 4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 4 oz extra fine French beans, topped, cooked and drained
• 4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 6 anchovy fillets, cut lengthways into thin strips
• 16 pitted black olives in brine, drained
• 8 basil leaves, ripped
• extra virgin olive oil (7 tbsp)
• 3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp parsley, freshly chopped
• 2 tbsp chives, freshly snipped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper

Method

1. Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes from room temperature, then cool them quickly under cold running water, peel and cut them in half. This timing gives firm whites and just-set, deep yellow yolks.
2. Whisk the olive oil, red wine vinegar, parsley, chives, garlic, salt and pepper together into a dressing and set it aside so the flavours settle.
3. Brush the tuna with a little of the dressing and season it. Sear it in a fiercely hot griddle pan or frying pan for 1-2 minutes per side, so the outside is marked and caramelised while the centre stays pink. Rest it for 2 minutes, then slice it thickly or break it into large flakes.
4. Arrange the lettuce quarters over a large, shallow platter. Scatter the potatoes, tomatoes, French beans and red onion over the lettuce in loose groups rather than mixing everything together.
5. Lay the sliced tuna on top, then add the egg halves, anchovy strips and black olives. Scatter over the ripped basil leaves.
6. Spoon the dressing generously over the whole salad just before serving, and serve at room temperature, not fridge-cold.

Prep: 2 h · Cook: 30 min

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data