Herb Salad with Thyme-Crusted Tuna
Updated March 30, 2020 
Eric: Joel Robuchon inspired this salad—he used to serve a similar one in Paris—and I could eat it every day. To make it even better, toss in truffle shavings and barbecue the tuna. Maguy: Barbecue Tuna? Oooh-la-la. I guess you'd say this is our tribute to American salads. Thank goodness we shave truffles on top to make the salad really French.
Serves4 servings
Cooking MethodGrilling, Pan-frying
CostSplurge
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
OccasionFormal Dinner Party
Recipe CourseAppetizer
Five Ingredients or LessYes
MealDinner, Lunch
MoodFestive
Taste and TextureHerby, Light
Type of DishFirst Course Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups mesclun (baby greens)
- 4 teaspoons fresh chervil leaves
- 12 small fresh basil leaves
- 20 fresh tarragon leaves
- 8 fresh mint leaves
- 2 (1-inch-thick) tuna steaks (about 10 ounces each)
- 4 teaspoons barely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup vinaigrette
- Balsamic vinegar, for garnish
- Two 10-inch nonstick skillets
Instructions
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1 In a bowl, toss the mesclun with the chervil, basil, tarragon, and mint. Set aside.
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2 Trim off and discard the dark blood section of the tuna. Sprinkle one side of each tuna steak with a teaspoon of thyme, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each steak and rub it into the tuna. Turn the steaks over and repeat on the other side.
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3 Heat two 10-inch nonstick skillets over high heat until just smoking. Add 1 tuna steak to each skillet and sear until the tuna is browned on the outside and rare, but warm in the center, about 1½ minutes per side. Cut the tuna on the diagonal into ½-inch-wide slices.
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4 Toss the mesclun mixture with the vinaigrette. Divide the salad among 4 dinner plates, mounding it to the side of the plate. Fan the tuna slices in a half-circle around the salad. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on each plate, making an arc in front of the tuna. Drizzle a few drops of balsamic vinegar into the olive oil and serve immediately.
1998 Eric Ripert and Maguy Le Coze
