Tuna Nicoise

Serves 4

After a week in beautiful Provencal, it seems only right to start this next blog with a take on French cuisine. In addition to that after a week of rich food and a verre or two of wine my internal organs are suggesting I indulge my body in some healthier food and lots of water.

Not the traditional version I grant you but this is my take on the Tuna Nicoise Salad and for me is the perfect mid week supper or party platter (although I am not sure you can call it cooking as it's so simple). Most of it can be prepared in advance and thrown together at the last minute (giving you the air of domestic goddess). Don't worry too much about quantities because with food like this you bulk them up or down based on what you like to eat more (or less). It is good for you and is gorgeous to eat. What more could you ask for?

4 Tuna Fillets
50g Sesame Seeds
2 tbsp Sesame Oil
Free Range Eggs or Quails Eggs (soft boiled, peeled and halved or quartered)
Samphire (if in season – it is right now) or Fine Beans
New Potatoes (cooked and cooled)
Pitted Black Olives
Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes (to slow roast your own sprinkle cherry tomatoes with salt and thyme, drizzle olive oil and place in a baking tray in 100 degree oven or Aga simmering oven for 5-6 hours)
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp Clear Honey

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp Olive Oil
3 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove of Garlic
1 tbsp Capers
Salt and Pepper

Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan. Coat the top and bottom of the tuna fillets in the sesame seeds and sear in the pan on both sides until golden brown and cooked to your liking (check the sides to see how well it is cooked remembering it will continue to cook while resting).

Heat the balsamic and honey in a sauté pan and add the potatoes. Cook for 5-6 minutes until caramelising and warmed though. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Steam the samphire for 3-4 minutes, drain and add a knob of butter. Season, cover the pan and keep warm while you assemble the rest of the dish.

Dress the lettuce in the vinaigrette, season.

Thinly slice the tuna fillets and arrange on a large platter along with all of the other ingredients. Open a good bottle of white wine and invite a few friends round for a simple supper.

Olive and Sundried Tomato Bread – Italian Style

It would be fair to say I am not the greatest at making ordinary bread, although I do love the whole experience even if it sometimes turns into a complete disaster.  The exception to this is Italian style breads - they do work for me.  Perhaps it’s because I have more interest in bread filled with fat juicy olives and sundried tomatoes and this is without doubt my favourite. 

It has been adapted from a Foccacia recipe but through the art of experimentation (and not reading the recipe correctly) I have found it to be so accommodating you can pretty much do what you like with it in terms of shape and adding different flavours. 

There are a couple of tricks I should mention.  1) Mix the salt into the flour before adding the yeast (salt kills the yeast when put directly on top of it) and 2) knead the dough thoroughly to develop the gluten, it should bounce back when you push your finger in.

450g Strong White Bread Flour

1 ½ tsp Salt

7g Dried Yeast (one sachet)

350ml Warm Water

50ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

100g Black and Green Olives (more or less as you would prefer)

30g Sundried Tomatoes (roughly chopped)

Sea Salt for sprinkling

Sprig of Rosemary (stalks removed and roughly chopped)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Drizzling

You can do this in a mixer with a dough hook or by hand. 

Combine the flour and salt thoroughly before adding the yeast to the flour by sprinkling it over the top.  Add the warm water and olive oil and mix to a pliable dough.  If you do this in a mixer you may find you need extra flour to prevent it being too soft.  Dust your hands with flour (you will need to keep doing this) and knead for 10-15 minutes by hand or 7-8 minutes by machine and then finish by hand.  After this stage the dough should be smooth and bouncy.  Place in a glass bowl and cover with cling film.  Leave to prove somewhere warm and draught free for about 1 hour until doubled in size.

After the hour, remove from the bowl and knock it back on a lightly floured surface.   Stretch the dough into a large flat shape and place the whole olives and the tomatoes onto the top.  Roll up the dough pinching the sides together so it is a closed parcel and mould into the shape you want and tin you plan to bake it in.  Cover with cling film again and leave to prove for 30 minutes.

When doubled in size drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and bake in a 220 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Indulge your senses by spouting Italian and dipping this wonderful bread into extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Delizioso!