Tuna Nicoise

[zeitoun]

Fresh tuna simply cannot compete with really first-rate tinned (or jarred) tuna in olive oil. There are some excellent products from Spain and Italy available in the US now, although they are incredibly expensive. Bonito del Norte from Ortiz is one of my favorites. Fresh tuna is insipid by comparison.

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I couldn't agree with you more!! We make salade nicoise every week in the summer time and we always use ventresca from the Spanish brand Ortiz. It is heavenly!!!

It's been available in the US for about 2 or 3 years, at $10 a can yes, but really worth the money..

[mrbigjas]

Hey do you cook the quail eggs the same way as normal egg...sorry, this is one thing I don't normally work with.

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yeah--poach for about 2 minutes, shock in ice water. to hard boil takes about four or five minutes i think. rachel perlow started a thread on them a while ago but i can't find it now... you have to be a little careful not to break the yolk when you open them; the membrane inside the shell is really thick.

[Busboy]

Hey do you cook the quail eggs the same way as normal egg...sorry, this is one thing I don't normally work with.

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yeah--poach for about 2 minutes, shock in ice water. to hard boil takes about four or five minutes i think. rachel perlow started a thread on them a while ago but i can't find it now... you have to be a little careful not to break the yolk when you open them; the membrane inside the shell is really thick.

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the couple of times we've served them, we always get a couple extra "test" eggs if we're cooking them in the shell. Poaching is a bit surreal, but the vinegar in the water trick keeps them relatively compact.

[LindaK]

Hey do you cook the quail eggs the same way as normal egg...sorry, this is one thing I don't normally work with.

yeah--poach for about 2 minutes, shock in ice water.

the couple of times we've served them, we always get a couple extra "test" eggs if we're cooking them in the shell. Poaching is a bit surreal, but the vinegar in the water trick keeps them relatively compact.

I'm glad I read down the thread before I made a crass commented on the missing olives. And though I'm sure it's not traditional, sometimes I sprinkle some capers on top if I want the extra piquancy, and some fresh basil en chiffonade just because it's delicious.

But am I reading this correctly, some of you use POACHED eggs in a salade nicoise?

[Bond Girl]

going back to the tuna...a can of even the best quality tuna has to start with the fish itself right? Any idea how tuna became canned tuna? Why can't this be done at home? Having said this I will go out to whole foods in search of some ortiz tuna.

[hjshorter]

going back to the tuna...a can of even the best quality tuna has to start with the fish itself right?  Any idea how tuna became canned tuna?  Why can't this be done at home?  Having said this I will go out to whole foods in search of some ortiz tuna.

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I'm remembering reading somewhere that canned tuna isn't cooked before it's canned - the process cooks it.

[mrbigjas]

Hey do you cook the quail eggs the same way as normal egg...sorry, this is one thing I don't normally work with.

yeah--poach for about 2 minutes, shock in ice water.

the couple of times we've served them, we always get a couple extra "test" eggs if we're cooking them in the shell. Poaching is a bit surreal, but the vinegar in the water trick keeps them relatively compact.

I'm glad I read down the thread before I made a crass commented on the missing olives. And though I'm sure it's not traditional, sometimes I sprinkle some capers on top if I want the extra piquancy, and some fresh basil en chiffonade just because it's delicious.

But am I reading this correctly, some of you use POACHED eggs in a salade nicoise?

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no, that was just me making logic jumps--bond girl mentioned quail eggs and i recently had a dinner where i used them both poached and hard boiled in the same meal, so i yapped about both procedures...

[chardan]

As far as i know this is always made with canned tuna.

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Here's a question: Why is this? Anyone know? As discussed earlier in the thread (silly me, not reading it first...), does it simply taste better for this?

_Jesse Williamson ;-};

Edited June 15, 2005 by chardan (log)

[KatieLoeb]

Aren't there usually sliced cucumbers, chunks of tomato, quartered hard boiled eggs, haricot vert, sliced boiled new potatoes, Nicoise olives, roasted baby Beets and tuna (either fresh seared/poached or canned in EVOO)? That's what I remember from my summer on the Riviera. The beets were ubiquitous and what finally got me to love them.

Hated them as a kid - thought they tasted like dirt.

[Adam Balic]

Aren't there usually sliced cucumbers, chunks of tomato, quartered hard boiled eggs, haricot vert, sliced boiled new potatoes, Nicoise olives, roasted baby Beets and tuna (either fresh seared/poached or canned in EVOO)?  That's what I remember from my summer on the Riviera.  The beets were ubiquitous and what finally got me to love them.

Hated them as a kid - thought they tasted like dirt. 

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OK these are the ingredients published originally in 'La Cuisine du Comte de Nice' (1972) by the mayor of Nice, mentioned above (this book is published in English by Grub Street Publishing under the name of "Cuisine Nicoise".

tomatoes, hard boiled egg, anchovy fillets or tinned tuna, cucumber, green pepper, spring onions (scallions), broad beans or globe artichokes, garlic, black olives, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper.

He has a few other things of interest to say. Tuna (canned) was very expensive and reserved for special occasions, normally anchovies were used. No dressing other then olive oil is used and finally;

"But what ever you do, if you want to be a worthy exponent of Nicoise cookery, never, never, I beg you, include boiled potato or any other boiled vegetable in your salad nicoise."

Strong words.

[Bond Girl]

Adam, that would make sense. The boiled potatoes would turn the whole thing very heavy. I ran into Marco Canora, chef at Hearth, last night and asked about his poached tuna. Will try to get the recipe from him and share it with all you guy.

[forever_young_ca]

Any idea how tuna became canned tuna? Why can't this be done at home?

It is very easy to can tuna at home. Living on the westcoast of Canada I have bought fresh tuna (and salmon) off the boat and canned my own. Simply pack the fish in the jar, add salt and seal with a pressure canner for the prescribed time and at the correct pressure. The result is amazing. The fish cooks in its own juice and has nothing added to it.

I must caution anyone trying this to make sure that it is done in a pressure canner for the correct amount of time. Underprocessed canned fish can be deadly.

In my experierience in France eating dozens of SN's over the years they have always featured canned tuna, not fresh. Fresh is a recent North American touch.

If you are buying canned tuna make sure you get a good quality packed in oil. Do not buy the insipid packed in water kind. - it does not have any flavour.

[Bond Girl]

what would be the correct amount of time?

[Bond Girl]

So I went out and got a can of the Ortiz Ventricia Tuna Belly....the thing had the same smelly oil and tinny taste that I hate about canned tuna. Should I be buying the jar variety?

[docsconz]

If that is the case, Ya-Roo, then perhaps you would be better off with fresh tuna, even if it makes the dish less "authentic". I am not crazy about regular US canned tuna packed in water, but I like the European stuff packed in olive oil and love it especially in this dish. The ventresca may not be O-Toro for overall satisfaction, but it is clearly the same part of the tuna and in my mind at least, ideal for this dish.

I'd love to read what Chef Canora has to say about poaching tuna.

[Busboy]

I'm with doc, I don't see any point in hewing puritanically to "authenticity," especially as -- with all due respect to the former Mayor of Nice -- there are undoubtedly dozens of "authentic" recipes out there, anyway. Poach away!

Though, personally, I grill for this.

[Adam Balic]

I'm with doc, I don't see any point in hewing puritanically to "authenticity," especially as -- with all due respect to the former Mayor of Nice -- there are undoubtedly dozens of "authentic" recipes out there, anyway.  Poach away!

Though, personally, I grill for this.

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The mayor of Nice thing was suppose to be tongue in cheek (a casual look at recipes from the region and the mayors own comments suggest that there is a degree of variation).

"Authenic" is not something that is possible for most dishes outside their place of origin. Something is either authentic or not, there is no "semi-authentic". That's why I don't like the word.

Defining key componants that constitute a specific named dish is entirely another matter. Based on information avalible "classic" (the word that was used in the original query) salad nicoise uses preserved tuna or anchovies, not fresh. But, I don't think that is any reason not to experiment with the the recipe, especially in this case where Bond Girl went to the trouble to determine if she really didn't like canned tuna or just had not had a good quality article and found out that it was the latter.

Dishes change and evolve over time, that is the nature of food and cookery and also it is often the fun bit.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Adam Balic (log)

[Bond Girl]

If that is the case, Ya-Roo, then perhaps you would be better off with fresh tuna, even if it makes the dish less "authentic". I am not crazy about regular US canned tuna packed in water, but I like the European stuff packed in olive oil and love it especially in this dish. The ventresca may not be O-Toro for overall satisfaction, but it is clearly the same part of the tuna and in my mind at least, ideal for this dish.

I'd love to read what Chef Canora has to say about poaching tuna.

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Doc. You are always the voice of reason. For now I am Nicoise out! Having consumed a variation of this stuff for a week and a half....Will return to the subject in a week or so. Meanwhile, if I get an answer out of Marco, I will post his suggestions on the thread.

[zeitoun]

If Ortiz ventresca isn't your cup of tea then i doubt you'll find the jarred variety any better. If you want to really enjoy your salade nicoise, then do as many have already suggested, stick to grilled fresh tuna... and the heck with classicism

[Tess]

I'm with doc, I don't see any point in hewing puritanically to "authenticity," especially as -- with all due respect to the former Mayor of Nice -- there are undoubtedly dozens of "authentic" recipes out there, anyway.  Poach away!

Though, personally, I grill for this.

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I completely agree.

The only caveat I would add is-- if you're a restaurant and you're doing a variation of a classic dish like this, please make a note on the menu so that when the dish arrives people will not think you have made a mistake. Quite recently I was served a "ceviche" consisting of raw fish in no dressing of any kind. I realize ceviche is a fairly elastic recipe, but this should have been called sashimi. (And it was not the type of fish for sashimi.)

[Carlovski]

Salad Nicoise is one of my favourite things to eat in the Summer.

I know a lot of writers who prefer to dispense with Tuna altogether - as much as I love anchovies I much prefer Tuna though.

As I usually have it as a main meal I like the potatoes, beans and eggs in there. One thing I do not like is peppers in it - I just don't think they fit in.

It's one of the few dishes where I will allow cucumber - but if I make it myself I leave it out.

I like it fine with fresh tuna, seems a very different thing to me then though, becomes more like tuna and salad then a whole dish. I do prefer good tinned stuff though - but if you really don't like it (I love tinned fish of all kinds) then why force yourself?

Young broad beans are a good idea though - have to try that.

[DRColby]

I've been in the mood for watching the DVD series, "The French Chef." One of the first in the series is Salade Nicoise.

Julia is very picky (if Julia can be) about the olives, they must be the small French ones, and the anchovies, they must be salted.

In the end she throws a can of tuna on the plate.

dave