Skewered Tuna NiÃ§oise

From EatingWell: July/August 1995 — Subscribe Now!

The components of a salade Nicoise take on a delicious new dimension when grilled. Buy anchovies packed in olive oil because the oil is used in the marinade.

6 servings

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 2-ounce tin anchovies packed in olive oil
1/2 cup bottled clam juice, (see Tip)
1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound tuna steak, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed, or medium potatoes cut into quarters
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 large red onion, cut into 8 chunks
12 cups mâche, (lamb's lettuce) or mixed salad greens
1 large vine-ripened tomato, cut into 8 wedges
12 NiÃ§oise olives, or 6 Kalamata olives
1 hard-cooked egg, sliced (see Tip)
1 tablespoon drained capers

Preparation

Measure 2 tablespoons oil from the tin of anchovies and put it in a blender. Chop 3 anchovy fillets coarsely and add them to the blender. (Cover and store the remaining anchovies in the refrigerator for another use.) Add clam juice, vinegar, garlic, rosemary and pepper to the blender and blend until smooth.
Pour 3 tablespoons of the marinade into a shallow dish just large enough to hold the tuna. Add tuna, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Season the remaining marinade with additional pepper; cover and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, cook potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 6 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add green beans to the simmering water and cook until barely tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Refresh under cold running water and reserve.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Remove the tuna from the marinade. Add the onion pieces and cooked potatoes to the marinade left in the dish, turning to coat. Thread the potatoes and onions onto skewers; thread tuna onto separate skewers. Grill the vegetables until they are slightly blackened, 10 to 12 minutes, and grill the tuna until it is no longer opaque in the center, about 8 minutes.
Toss m&acirc;che (or mixed salad greens) with 1/4 cup of the reserved dressing and transfer to a large platter. Toss the green beans with 2 more tablespoons of the dressing and scatter over the lettuce. Slide the tuna, potatoes and onions from the skewers onto the salad. Garnish with tomato wedges, olives, egg slices and capers. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Tips & Notes

Tips: Bottled clam juice can be very high in sodium. We like Bar Harbor brand, which has 120 mg sodium per serving. Look for it in the canned-fish section or the seafood department of your supermarket.
To hard-boil eggs: Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan; cover with water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and cook at the barest simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, pour out hot water and cover the eggs with cold water. Let stand until cool enough to handle before peeling.

Nutrition

Per serving: 281 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 7 g fiber; 596 mg sodium; 1313 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (105% daily value), Vitamin C (67% dv), Folate (45% dv), Potassium (38% dv), Iron (22% dv).

1 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat