Saturday, July 7, 2012


Grilled Tuna Nicoise Platter

Ina Garten
Rated 5 stars out of 5
Total Time:
50 min
Prep
45 min
Cook
5 min
Yield:
8 servings
Level:
Easy

Ingredients

  • 8 (1-inch-thick) fresh tuna steaks (about 4 pounds)
  • Good olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 pound French string beans (haricots verts), stems removed and blanched
  • 1 recipe French Potato Salad, recipe follows
  • 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges (6 small tomatoes)
  • 8 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in 1/2 (optional)
  • 1/2 pound good black olives, pitted (optional)
  • 1 bunch watercress or arrugula (I use spring greens)
  • 1 can anchovies (optional) (optional)

For the vinaigrette:

  • 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 tablespoons good olive oil

Directions

To grill the tuna, get a charcoal or stove-top cast iron grill very hot. Brush the fish with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill each side for only 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. The center should be raw, likesushi, or the tuna will be tough and dry. Arrange the tuna, haricots verts, potato saladtomatoes, eggs,olives, watercress, and anchovies, if used, on a large flat platter.
For the vinaigrette, combine the vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsionDrizzle some over the fish and vegetables and serve the rest in a pitcher on the side.

French Potato Salad:

  • 1 pound small white boiling potatoes
  • 1 pound small red boiling potatoes
  • 2 tablespoons good dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 10 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
  • 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
Drop the white and red potatoes into a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain in a colander and place a towel over the potatoes to allow them to steam for 10 more minutes. As soon as you can handle them, cut in 1/2 (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place in a medium bowl. Toss gently with the wine and chicken stock. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
Combine the vinegar, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Add the scallions, dill, parsley, basil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

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Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes Recipe

Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes

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With a simple ingredient list and a mostly make-ahead technique, these delicious potatoes are perfect for parties. Of course, you don’t have to have a party to make these. They’re just as good served with Sunday dinner as a side dish with roast chicken or meatloaf. And garnished with a bit of sour cream and chives, they make a nice starter.
 
Serves 4 as a side dish
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Click here to find out more!
12 to 15 baby red or yellow potatoes (about 1-1/2 oz. each; 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter) 
2-3/4 tsp. kosher salt 
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

Boil the potatoes:Put the potatoes in a large saucepan (preferably in one layer) and cover with at least an inch of water. Add 2 tsp. kosher salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until they are completely tender and can be easily pierced with a metal or wood skewer. Make sure they are cooked through but don’t overcook. The total cooking time will be 30 to 35 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, set up a double layer of clean dishtowels on your countertop. As the potatoes finish cooking, remove them individually from the water, and let them drain and sit for just a minute or two on the dishtowels.
Flatten and cool the potatoes:Fold another dishtowel into quarters, and using it as a cover, gently press down on one potato with the palm of your hand to flatten it to a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with all the potatoes. Don’t worry if some break apart a bit; you can still use them.
Crispy Smashed Roasted Potatoes Recipe
Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; put a sheet of parchment on top of the foil. Transfer the flattened potatoes carefully to the baking sheet and let them cool completely at room temperature.
Roast the potatoesRemove the pan of potatoes from the refrigerator, if prepared ahead. Heat the oven to 450°F. Alternatively, if you have a convection function, turn it on and set the temperature at 400°F. Sprinkle the potatoes with about 3/4 tsp. salt and pour the olive oil over them. Lift the potatoes gently to make sure some of the oil goes underneath them and that they are well coated on both sides. Roast the potatoes until they’re crispy and deep brown around the edges, about 30 minutes if using a convection oven, 30 to 40 minutes if roasting conventionally, turning over once gently with a spatula or tongs halfway through cooking. Serve hot.

make ahead tips

Do the busy work—boiling and flattening the potatoes—up to 8 hours ahead. Let potatoes cool completely, and store them on the pan, lightly covered, in the fridge. Then all you have to do at the last minute is coat with oil and salt and roast.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 270; Fat (g): 20; Fat Calories (kcal): 180; Saturated Fat (g): 3; Protein (g): 2; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 15; Carbohydrates (g): 20; Polyunsaturated Fat (g):2; Sodium (mg): 520; Cholesterol (mg): 0; Fiber (g): 2;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 83 , pp. 45
January 1, 2007