Hooked Barton Seaver’s Niçoise-style salad celebrates an unsung seafood ingredient: canned tuna

by Barton seaver

I HAVE LONG ENJOYED the great literature of the coast. As a kid, reading John Hersey’s Blues, Henry Beston’s The Outermost House, and Thoreau’s Walden gave me a keen sense of the less-is-more philosophy of the seashore. “Simplify! Simplify!” These books firmly planted that idea in my mind.

At home by the sea, that modesty is precisely what I pursue. The noise of our lives abates in our retreat, so the food prepared here calls for the same sense of restraint. As we surrender our everyday worries, so, too, do coastal kitchens cast off the clutter and gadgets that sometimes can adorn other home kitchens. In this spirit, beach house cooking can be just as unassuming. The fridge might not always hold a vast variety and volume of foods; the pantry might not be overflowing with spices and sauces. And so my Roast Vegetable Tuna Salad (recipe on page 98) is inspired by the very minimalism that makes a coastal kitchen so charismatic.

In this dish we elevate a humble but everpresent ingredient: canned tuna. While often defaulted to—when mixed with mayonnaise and a little celery salt—for lunchtime sandwiches, canned tuna also can be prepared in sophisticated ways. Taking a cue from the famed Niçoise salad by way of French shorelines, the tuna here flavors a host of vegetables. The vinaigrette—made spicy by mustard and its more potent pairing, horseradish— balances the roasted vegetables: green beans withered and browned, radish sweetened of its bitter personality, and tomatoes concentrated by the heat. Watercress rounds out the assembly with its peppery bite.

This salad can be composed as individual plates or served family style on a giant platter, and is as good the next day as when prepared fresh. So easy and quick to make, it gives you that much more time to enjoy the good—and simple—life on the coast. ³

FINE TUNA

The most unsung—and simplest— fish to prepare by the shore? Hint: It comes in a can

Seaver often cooks with fresh vegetables and herbs from his South Freeport, Maine, garden.

Canned tuna Roast Vegetable Tuna Salad

Roast Vegetable Tuna Salad

HANDS-ON TIME: 20 minutes TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

2 (5-ounce) cans white tuna packed in oil, undrained ½ pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes ½ pound small red potatoes, halved 7 ounces radishes, halved 6 tablespoons olive oil 1½ teaspoons kosher salt ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ pound green beans, trimmed 3 plum tomatoes, quartered 1 small garlic clove, grated 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon drained capers 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish ½ tablespoon whole-grain mustard 2 bunches watercress

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Drain tuna, reserving oil; set aside. 2. Combine squash, potatoes, radishes, 1½ tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread squash mixture in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Add green beans, tomatoes, ½ tablespoon oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to bowl; toss to coat. Arrange tomatoes on a second rimmed baking sheet; reserve green beans. Roast squash mixture and tomatoes 15 minutes. Add green beans to pan with tomatoes; stir squash mixture. Roast 15 more minutes or until beans are crisp-tender and potatoes are cooked through. Let vegetables cool to room temperature. 3. Whisk together garlic and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine ¼ cup reserved oil from canned tuna with remaining ¼ cup olive oil. Add oil to vinegar mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly until smooth. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper. 4. Combine watercress and half of the vinaigrette in a large bowl; toss to coat. Divide watercress mixture evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with roasted vegetables. Flake tuna evenly over vegetables; drizzle evenly with remaining vinaigrette. Makes 4 servings. Q

YES, YOU CAN!

TOP TUNA

Canned tuna is often at the center of the sustainability debate, but many options get the environmental green light. My favorite is Henry & Lisa’s, which is packed with dayboat-fresh, sustainably caught tuna, but all the picks below are good choices. Get more information on tuna sustainability at seafoodwatch.com.

Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood

Wild Planet

Pole & Line

Drain? No gain!

When it comes to oil- or water-packed tunas, don’t drain away either. Use the oil as a sauce alone, or add the water to boiling vegetables or pasta for flavor.

BARTON SEAVER is a chef, sustainable seafood expert, and National Geographic Explorer, and the author of several books, including For Cod and Country.