Ahi Nicoise Salad Stacks

The "Twins In The Kitchen" blog has reached some milestones lately. We have a dozen official "followers," we're closing in on 500 visits (including those from places as exotic as Kuwait and Mongolia!), we have nearly 60 posts, and now we have our first recipe reprinted from a cookbook with official permission from the book's author.

Deborah Fabricant, author of "Stacks - The Art of Vertical Food," has become a friend of our site, and has given us the OK to reprint the following fabulous recipe:

Yield: 6 servings

A terrific entree salad for hot summer nights! This classic Salade Nicoise gets a facelift with a stack version made with grilled ahi.

Planning Ahead

Prep all ingredients, except the ahi, the day before.
Assemble the stacks and chill 3 hours ahead.
Prepare the dressing the day before.

AHI

2 pounds fresh ahi
1 cup Balsamic Glaze (recipe follows)

DRESSING

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
3 anchovy fillets, minced
1 teaspoon Colman's mustard powder
1/2 cup Japanese seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

SALAD

3 large or 4 medium White Rose potatoes
1 cup French green beans, trimmed
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 heirloom tomatoes or ripe red or yellow tomatoes, cut into 12 slices
1/2 cup nicoise olives, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup capers
3 cups mixed spinach, Bibb lettuce, and romaine lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces

Advance Preparation

To make the ahi, marinate the ahi in the glaze for 20 minutes. Drain and grill quickly over hot coals, or broil, to rare (about 2 minutes per side). The fish should be seared on the outside and pink on the inside. Thinly slice the ahi across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. You should have approximately 36 slices. Set aside.

To make the dressing, combine the lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, mustard, and vinegar in a food processor and blend well. Slowly add the oil with the machine running and blend until emulsified. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper.

Boil the potatoes in salted water (to cover) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the center of the potatoes. Drain, peel, and slice 1/4 inch thick.

To prepare the green beans, boil them for 3 minutes in salted water(to cover). Then drain and chop the beans.

Assembly

Spray 6 stack cylinders with vegetable spray and place them on a sheet pan. Layer the stacks in the following order: 1 layer of sliced potatoes, 2 tablespoons green beans, 3 ahi slices (to cover beans), 1 tablespoon egg, 1 slice tomato, 2 teaspoons olives, 1 teaspoon capers. Repeat the layers and top with a third layer of potatoes, overlapping the slices decoratively. Press down gently but firmly and chill 1 hour or longer, up to 3 hours.

To serve, slide a spatula under each stack cylinder and transfer to a serving plate lined with mixed lettuces. Unmold the stack, drizzle with dressing, and serve immediately.

Balsamic Glaze

Yield: 2 cups

1/4 teaspoon ground star anise
1.5 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Keeps in the refrigerator several weeks.

Note: This syrup is also terrific when used as a marinade for grilled chicken, onions, and eggplant. For a fabulous dessert, marinate strawberries in Balsamic Glaze and stack with pound cake and vanilla ice cream.

(c) 1999 Deborah Fabricant
All rights reserved.