From the Chef ~ Tuna Under Olive Oil

When your brother is a fishing nut, good things come your way in the form of rich adventures in the kitchen and on the dinner plate!  This fall, Mario hooked into a couple hundred pounds of tuna off of the Washington coast.  What to do with piles of albacore? We came up with many options - poke, sashimi, ceviche, and seared in spices - but my favorite is poaching it in olive oil.  The final product matches the delicious, top-shelf Italian and Spanish tuna canned in olive oil.  This preparation works great as the signature protein of a classic Salad Nicoise (see recipe below) or worked into red sauce with spaghetti.

Here is the link to the recipe:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/237725/olive-oil-poached-tuna/

From the Chef 

Salade Niçoise du Fiore

As I was researching this favorite dish—Niçoise Salad, an untiring testament to deliciousness—my coworker looked over my shoulder and wondered aloud, “Fiore, I am surprised you need to look up that one!” In truth, I do more or less know this dish, having enjoyed it endlessly along the Italian and French Riviera.  But as I enjoy doing, I huddled up with some trusted, go-to online resources—Saveur, Ina Garten, Julia Child, Food Network, Epicurious, The Naked Chef—and crosschecked my recipe.  Sure enough, their versions confirmed in essence the same delectably fresh statement of Mediterranean love on a salad dish! Bon Appetit!

For the Salad. Arrange on 4 plates or one large platter 1 head cleaned bibb lettuce. Then top with the following ingredients:

1 lb. small new potatoes, boiled until tender

1/2 lb. haricot verts, blanched

3/4 lb. the very best tomatoes you can find, halved

8 small radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup black Niçoise olives

4 hardboiled eggs, quartered

One 2 oz. tin quality anchovies

2-3 cans (8-12 oz. total) high quality tuna in olive oil

(I have a GREAT recipe for preparing your own from fresh tuna steaks—visit CasaFioreOnline.com for the recipe!)

Optional: Thinly sliced shallots or onions; boiled beets, pealed and sliced; thinly sliced cucumber

For the Dressing. This is from Savuer and I really like it.

Mince 1 clove of garlic on a cutting board and sprinkle heavy with kosher salt.  Using a knife, scrape garlic and salt together to form a smooth paste.  Transfer paste to a bowl and whisk in 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard, 1 minced shallot, and salt and pepper to taste.  Now drizzle over salad and enjoy!