Mediterranean tuna salad - bon appetit

2 servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
¼poundsGreen beans, trimmed
¾cupOlive oil
1tablespoonPlus 1 t drained capers, very coarsely chopped
1tablespoonSalt
1tablespoonCoarsely ground white pepper
2tablespoonsFresh lime juice
1tablespoonWhite wine vinegar
cupDrained canned cannellini beans or Great Northern beans
1Red bell pepper, cut julienne
1largeHead butter lettuce
4ouncesFeta cheese, crumbled
½smallRed onion, thinly sliced
2smallsPlum tomatoes, quartered
2Hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
21-inch-thick 4-oz yellow fin tuna or mahimahi fillets
1tablespoonCracked white peppercorns
16Nicoise olives* or other black imported olives
1tablespoonChopped fresh parsley (preferably Italian)
2Fresh parsley sprigs (preferably Italian)

Directions

Blanch green beans in saucepan of boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Refresh under cold water and drain again.

Halve beans lengthwise. Transfer to small bowl.

Mix oil, capers, salt and pepper in another small bowl. Pour 3 table- spoons over green beans; toss to coat. Mix lime juice and vinegar into remaining oil mixture. Toss cannellini with 3 T dressing in medium bowl. Toss red bell pepper with 3 T dressing in another medium bowl.

Cover salads and let stand 1 hour. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead.

Refrigerate salads. Cover remaining dressing and let stand at room temperature.)

Arrange 1 lettuce leaf at each end of each oval plate. Tear remaining lettuce into bite-size pieces. Mound lettuce in center of plates.

Arrange green beans, cannellini, red bell pepper, feta and onion in rows across lettuce, leaving center portion of lettuce uncovered.

Place tomatoes and eggs at ends of plates.

Preheat broiler. Dredge fish in 2 tablespoons dressing. Rub cracked peppercorns into one side of fish. Broil pepper side up 2 minutes.

Turn fish over and cook about 2 more minutes for medium. Arrange fish atop lettuce in center of plates. Garnish with olives. Mix chopped parsley into remaining dressing. Drizzle over salads. Garnish fish with parsley sprigs and serve.

*Available at specialty foods stores.

Bon Appetit/August/89 Scanned & fixed by Di and Gary