Niçoise Salad

Ingredients:

450g fresh tuna

8 new potatoes, cooked and quartered lengthways

4 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

115g extra fine French beans , topped, cooked and drained

4 little gem lettuce hearts, quartered lengthways

1 red onion, finely sliced

4 eggs, cooked for 6 minutes in boiling water from room temperature, halved

6 anchovy fillets cut lengthways into thin strips

16 pitted black olives in brine

8 basil leaves, ripped

For the dressing or marinade:

7tbsp extra virgin ovile oil 

3 tbsp aged red wine vinegar

2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

2 tbsp freshly snipped chives

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

Preparation

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. Cook the tuna steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on how rare you like your fish.

Lay the lettuce leaves onto a large plate and add the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, potato, tuna, beans and anchovies. Drizzle over the remaining dressing then finish by adding the eggs, olives and ripped basil leaves.