Salad Nicoise with an Instant Pot

This Sunday at the Fairmount Neighborhood Farmers Market, you'll find pastured meats and eggs from Fair Valley Farm and Fog Hollow Farm, cut flowers from Tiger Lily Art Company, and fresh produce from Camas Swale Farm, including lettuce and other greens, potatoes, green beans, and heirloom tomatoes.

During the summer months, a favorite meal at our house is self assembled salad Nicoise with lettuce, tomatoes, boiled eggs, potatoes, and green beans, and tuna in olive oil. As a treat last week, I made a batch with fresh olive oil poached tuna. This time, I experimented with making the components in an Instant Pot. It didn't necessarily save time, but it turned out to be pretty efficient with fewer pots to wash in the end. If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can easily cook the components on the stove top and it will be just as good.

Salad Nicoise in an Instant Pot

serves four

olive oil poached tuna (adapted from Melissa Clark's Dinner in an Instant)
~12 ounces high quality tuna
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, sliced thinly
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
generous grinding of fresh black pepper
olive oil to cover the fish

other salad fixings
1 lb baby potatoes
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
8 eggs
4 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 head lettuce

vinaigrette
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
olive oil from fish poaching

1. In a ceramic ramekin that will fit the fish snuggly, cover the bottom with the shallot and garlic slices. Salt and pepper the fish and layer it on top of the shallot and garlic. Top with the fennel seeds and lemon zest and pour over olive oil to immerse the fish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour up to 24 hours.

2. Set up the Instant Pot with 1 cup of water in the pot and a steamer basket. Rinse the potatoes and put them in the steamer basket. Layer on the eggs. Close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on LOW pressure for 4 minutes for jammy eggs or 5 minutes for hard boiled. While the pot is pressurizing, prepare a large ice water bath. When the timer is done, immediately and carefully vent the steam, remove the lid, and transfer the eggs to the ice water bath. 

3. Place the green beans on top of the potatoes in the steamer basket and cook on LOW pressure for zero minutes. When the timer is done, immediately and carefully vent the steam, remove the lid, and transfer the beans to the ice water bath. 

4. Remove the plastic wrap from the tuna ramekin and cover with tin foil. Make a tin foil sling to be able to lower the ramekin in and out of the pot. Layer the ramekin on top of the potatoes and cook on LOW pressure for 5 minutes for medium rare tuna or 6 minutes for more well done. When the timer is done, immediately and carefully vent the steam. Check the tuna and potatoes for desired doneness and cook either or both for a little longer if needed.

5. Arrange a platter with lettuce and tomato wedges. Drain the eggs and beans. Peel and half the eggs and arrange with the beans and potatoes on the platter. Mix the olive oil from the poached tuna into a vinaigrette with mustard and vinegar to taste. Serve the salad fixings, tuna, and vinaigrette for everyone to assemble their own salad. Enjoy.