Herb Salad with Thyme-Crusted Tuna

Updated July 09, 2020

Herb Salad with Thyme-Crusted Tuna

This image courtesy of Cookstr

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

OccasionFormal Dinner Party

Five Ingredients or LessYes

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

1 In a bowl, toss the mesclun with the chervil, basil, tarragon, and mint. Set aside.
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.
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.
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