I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Camille Styles' first book, Camille Styles Entertaining: Inspired Gatherings and Effortless Style, which is out today! She and her dream team have been slowly giving out sneak peeks on the progress of the book on Instagram (of course it always seems to be a lunchtime so of course I start salivating!) and I can't wait to get my hands on one to see the magic they have performed.I asked Camille why she decided to write a book, when it seems that she's so busy running a well-done blog. I love her response:
After writing the blog Camille Styles for the past 5 years, I realized that there was a lot I wanted to say that couldn’t be condensed down to a short blog post. My dream for this book is that it will encourage everyone who reads it to wake up every morning with a desire to engage the senses - to open their eyes fully to the beauty that surrounds them. Instead of saving their favorite things for some day in the future, I want them to set their tables with their best dishes, wear the dress that makes them feel great, and buy the freshest seasonal ingredients at the farmers market to inspire tonight’s dinner. I want the simple shortcuts in the book to be a launching pad for readers’ own creative expression, and that they’ll invite a few friends over to join in on the fun!
So lovely, right?! Camille was kind enough to provide a recipe from the book for us. Get your to-do lists out, because you're gonna want to make it pronto!
Check out the full recipe below.
SEARED TUNA NIÇOISE
Ah, Salade Nicoise . . . Anytime I encounter one on a restaurant menu, my decision’s been made. The classic combination of tomatoes, haricots verts, potatoes, briny olives, and perfectly hard-cooked eggs creates one of my favorite salads of all time, and this one swaps out the typical canned tuna for herb-crusted seared ahi, which takes it to a new level.
SERVES 4
SALAD
1⁄2 pound small potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence (see page 111 in the book)
1 pound fresh sushi-quality tuna (thawed if frozen and kept very cold in the refrigerator)
1⁄2 pound haricots verts or thin green beans, trimmed
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered if large
2 romaine hearts, leaves separated, washed, and dried
1 cup pitted mixed oil-marinated olives, drained
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
DIJON VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 ̊F and line a baking sheet with foil.
In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper, and herbes de Provence. Spread out on the prepared baking sheet and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, liberally season the tuna on all sides with salt and pepper and herbes de Provence. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a cast-iron skillet over high heat.
Carefully place the tuna in the skillet and allow to sear for 30 seconds. Using tongs, turn the tuna to sear the sides and ends for 30 seconds each. Set aside on a plate to cool while you make the rest of the salad.
To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the oil and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the haricots verts and blanch until tender but crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Transfer to a clean bowl and season with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste.
In another bowl, season the tomatoes with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste.
In a large salad bowl, season the romaine leaves with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste.
On a large platter, arrange the romaine leaves, haricots verts, tomatoes, potatoes, olives, and eggs. Cut the tuna into 3⁄4-inch slices and add to the platter. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and let everyone help themselves.
Camille Styles Entertaining is out now! Here's a link to get it on Amazon.
Photography by Buff Strickland
