Sous Vide Tuna Salad Nicoise
By America's Test KitchenPublished on March 21, 2019
Time
Sous vide: 1½ hours; active cooking time: 1¼ hours, plus at least 30 minutes resting time
Yield
Serves 4
Sous Vide Temperature
120°F/49°C and 194°F/90°C
Ingredients
Tuna
2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons sugar 2 8-ounce tuna steak, about 1 inch thick¾ cup extra-virgin olive oilVinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)1 shallot, minced2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme 2 teaspoons Dijon mustardSalad
1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise4 large eggs 1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved1 small red onion (about 4 ounces), halved and sliced thin½ cup pitted niçoise olives 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)Before You Begin
Use weights to make sure the potatoes and green beans are fully immersed during cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- For the tuna: Combine salt and sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle tuna evenly on all sides with salt mixture and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 45 minutes.
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 120°F/49°C in 7-quart container.
- Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Place steaks and oil in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until steaks are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Transfer steaks to plate and reserve oil. Allow tuna to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Raise temperature of water bath to 194°F/90°C.
- For the vinaigrette: Whisk lemon juice, shallot, basil, thyme, mustard, and oil reserved from tuna in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
- For the salad: Combine potatoes, 1 teaspoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in clean 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Combine green beans, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place each bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal bags. Gently lower bag with potatoes into prepared water bath, weight bag until potatoes are fully submerged, then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Gently add eggs to water bath and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add bag with green beans to water bath, repeating process of weighting bag and removing air bubbles, and continue to cook vegetables and eggs for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Using slotted spoon or tongs, carefully transfer eggs and zipper-lock bag with green beans to ice bath and let sit until chilled, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer green beans to large bowl. Peel and quarter eggs; set aside.
- Transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Whisk vinaigrette to recombine, then add ¼ cup (65 grams) vinaigrette to bowl with potatoes and toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste.
- Add lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and half of remaining vinaigrette to bowl with green beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange greens mixture on large serving platter. Arrange potatoes over salad, followed by olives, capers (if using), and eggs. Slice tuna ½ inch thick and arrange over center of salad. Serve immediately, passing remaining vinaigrette separately.
- Tuna, potatoes, green beans, and eggs can be rapidly chilled in ice bath and then refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
to make ahead
Time
Sous vide: 1½ hours; active cooking time: 1¼ hours, plus at least 30 minutes resting timeYield
Serves 4Sous Vide Temperature
120°F/49°C and 194°F/90°CIngredients
Tuna
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 8-ounce tuna steak, about 1 inch thick
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Vinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salad
1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 large eggs
1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion (about 4 ounces), halved and sliced thin
½ cup pitted niçoise olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
Ingredients
Tuna
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 8-ounce tuna steak, about 1 inch thick
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Vinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salad
1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 large eggs
1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion (about 4 ounces), halved and sliced thin
½ cup pitted niçoise olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
Ingredients
Tuna
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 8-ounce tuna steak, about 1 inch thick
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Vinaigrette
¼ cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Salad
1 ¼ pounds small red potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise
4 large eggs
1 head Bibb lettuce (8 ounces), leaves separated and torn into bite-size pieces
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion (about 4 ounces), halved and sliced thin
½ cup pitted niçoise olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
Why This Recipe Works
Salade Niçoise is a show-stopping dish with a daunting ingredient list. Sous vide streamlines the process: We gently cooked tuna steaks with olive oil and then raised the temperature of the water bath to cook the vegetables and eggs. Use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter. If niçoise olives are not available, substitute another small, black, brined olive. Vegetables have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking.
Before You Begin
Use weights to make sure the potatoes and green beans are fully immersed during cooking. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- For the tuna: Combine salt and sugar in small bowl. Sprinkle tuna evenly on all sides with salt mixture and place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 45 minutes.
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 120°F/49°C in 7-quart container.
- Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towels and season with pepper. Place steaks and oil in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until steaks are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Transfer steaks to plate and reserve oil. Allow tuna to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Raise temperature of water bath to 194°F/90°C.
- For the vinaigrette: Whisk lemon juice, shallot, basil, thyme, mustard, and oil reserved from tuna in medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
- For the salad: Combine potatoes, 1 teaspoon oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in clean 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Combine green beans, remaining 1 teaspoon oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place each bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal bags. Gently lower bag with potatoes into prepared water bath, weight bag until potatoes are fully submerged, then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Gently add eggs to water bath and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add bag with green beans to water bath, repeating process of weighting bag and removing air bubbles, and continue to cook vegetables and eggs for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Using slotted spoon or tongs, carefully transfer eggs and zipper-lock bag with green beans to ice bath and let sit until chilled, 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer green beans to large bowl. Peel and quarter eggs; set aside.
- Transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Whisk vinaigrette to recombine, then add ¼ cup (65 grams) vinaigrette to bowl with potatoes and toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste.
- Add lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, and half of remaining vinaigrette to bowl with green beans and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange greens mixture on large serving platter. Arrange potatoes over salad, followed by olives, capers (if using), and eggs. Slice tuna ½ inch thick and arrange over center of salad. Serve immediately, passing remaining vinaigrette separately.
- Tuna, potatoes, green beans, and eggs can be rapidly chilled in ice bath and then refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
to make ahead
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