This
recipe combines the fresh taste of steelhead with a classic French dish. (Jenny
Nguyen-Wheatley photo)
Print Recipe
Niçoise salad is one my favorites when I dine at seafood restaurants. This salad originated in Nice, France, and is still a staple today, though modern variations differ greatly from the original recipe of anchovies, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, Niçoise olives, and a simple olive oil dressing. Freshly cooked or canned tuna is often served on top, which is still popular, but I also enjoy this salad with fattier trout or salmon.
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This steelhead trout niçoise salad recipe makes an ideal lunch or light dinner on a hot summer day. Blanch the green beans and boil the potatoes ahead of time, then store them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to make the salad. You can also do the same with the tarragon and mustard vinaigrette salad dressing, which I keep in a small mason jar – just shake and pour over the salad to serve. All there will be left to do is cook the fish, which shouldn’t take long at all. Grill the steelhead trout for a smoky flavor, but if you’re pressed for time, I love pan searing fish because I can get a nice crust.
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Serves: 4 Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes
Salad Ingredients:
4 portions of boneless steelhead trout fillet Kosher salt Freshly cracked pepper Herbes de Provence, to taste 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 red potatoes 10 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed Handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 4 large hard boiled eggs, halved Pitted Kalamata olives, to taste Large bag of chopped, pre-washed butter lettuce mix Dressing Ingredients:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 pinch dried tarragon or freshly chopped leaves ½ teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoons coarse mustard ¼ teaspoon kosher salt Freshly cracked pepper, to taste Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and red potatoes. Blanch green beans for 2-3 minutes, fish them out and transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process, then drain. Allow the potatoes to cook longer until tender, about 10-15 minutes, then drain. Set aside to cool. Combine dressing ingredients and whisk well. Or you can combine ingredients in a mason jar with a lid and shake when ready to serve. Season to taste. Season the steelhead trout with Herbes de Provence and freshly cracked pepper. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Rinse steelhead trout under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the flesh and skin with salt. Then season the flesh side with freshly cracked pepper and herbes de Provence. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil begins to smoke slightly, add the fish flesh side down and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Then flip and cook through with the skin side down until flaky. If you like crunchy skin, make sure to remove scales, and cook the skin side down first. Pan searing the trout gives the fish a nice crust on the outside. (Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley photo) Slice the cooked red potatoes. Assemble salad by laying butter lettuce mix inside a bowl or a plate and top with the cooked fish in the middle. Place the sliced potatoes, blanched green beans, tomatoes, olives and hard-boiled egg on the side. Whisk salad dressing and spoon over the salad. Season salad with salt and pepper.
