Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad

This isn't the crummy canned tuna Nicoise that you get in most places.  To make a really good Nicoise, use good fresh tuna and sear it.  For presentation, leave all the parts separate and arrange each on the plate.

For this one, I made a pre-dressed bed of baby leaf and baby spinach.  I almost always use a balsamic base (2 parts oil, 1 part balsamic, a dash of sea salt) - and this one I added a bit of honey to sweeten and thicken it.  The rest of the plate included a fresh Haas avocado, tomato, hard-boiled egg, a bit of soy cheese, and the tuna. Be sure to use a good tuna, sushi-grade if you can get it.

To sear tuna, heat a well-seasoned pan over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add 1 Tbsp of oil (even though they say use a cooking oil, I almost always use olive and just flash fry) and let it spread. Hold the tuna with kitchen tongs and place it gently into the pan.  Let it cook until the edge is just seared - somewhere from 30-60 seconds. Flip it over and do the same to the other side.

Once seared, let it rest for at least 2 minutes on a chopping board, then slice it in 1/4-1/2" thick slices and fan them on the plate.  Bon appetit!