Dinner Tonight! : SECOND HELPINGS : A Rare Treat Done Well

Think steak: ahi steak, the fish for beef lovers. Ahi, or yellowfin tuna, has many of the characteristics that meat eaters crave: a dark-pink, flaky flesh that, when cooked, has a firm texture and rich flavor.

Those who love their meat rare in the center will be delighted to learn that a tuna steak is at its best when pink in the middle. After all, this is the tuna used for sushi and sashimi. And the health-conscious will be glad that, ounce for ounce, tuna has nearly half the calories of beef and little fat or cholesterol.

For an easy entree, head to your favorite fishmonger and pick up six ahi tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each, about 1 1/4 inches thick. Combine 2 tablespoons of coarse salt and 1/2 cup coarsely crushed peppercorns on a plate, and thoroughly coat both sides of the fish with the mixture. Grill the steaks over hot coals on an oiled grill rack, 3 minutes per side for rare-in-the-center steaks, longer if you like them just pink. A terrific accompaniment is black olive tapenade (available in specialty markets) thinned with olive oil to make a sauce.

Set aside 2 grilled steaks for this classic French salad.

Morgan is author of “Cooking for the Week: Leisurely Weekend Cooking For Easy Weekday Meals,” (Chronicle Books, $18.95).

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Rare Nicoise Salad

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 40 minutes * Easy

4 small red boiling potatoes (about 3/4 pound)

Salt

3/4 pound green beans

6 leaves romaine lettuce

3 tomatoes, cut into 8 wedges

2 (6-ounce) cooked pepper-crusted tuna steaks, cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 hardboiled eggs, each cut into 8 slices or wedges

8 cured black olives, pitted and halved

1/2 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

* Boil potatoes in lightly salted water until tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes. Drain, let cool, slip off skins and cut each into 8 wedges.

* Cook beans in plenty of boiling, lightly salted water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, place in ice water to chill about 1 minute, drain again and blot dry on paper towels.

* Arrange salad on large serving plate by first covering plate with romaine leaves. Arrange potatoes in row, with row of green beans next to potatoes. Follow with row of tomatoes, then tuna, then eggs. Scatter olives and parsley over top.

* Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, anchovy paste, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over composed salad and serve immediately.

4 servings. Each serving: 554 calories; 613 mg sodium; 149 mg cholesterol; 36 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 33 grams protein; 1.74 gram fiber.