One more recipe from Croatia: Fresh Tuna Salad with Arugula and Warm Potatoes

Towards the end of our recent travels in Croatia, David and I stopped in Opatija for lunch.  You can see the restaurant in the photo above: looking at the closed oval of water, you'll see a rectangular building at one end--that's the restaurant.  The oval was a kind of ocean swimming pool, shallow enough to walk around in, which I did a bit of.  But this post is about the food.  I had a delicious salad with fresh tuna, arugula, and warm potatoes.  Once I was home, I searched the web for a recipe that was close, and found one I could use--a recipe for "Warm Potato with Arugula Salad" to which I just had to add tuna.  Of course, making it at home is different from eating it right by the sea, but it was still lovely.  I used frozen tuna.  It might also be nice with salmon.

FRESH tuna salad with arugula and warm potatoes

adaptation of salad eaten in Opatija, Croatia, with help from http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/warm-potato-salad-arugula

1-1/2 pounds white potatoes, scrubbed

3-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

2-1/4 teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar

1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

2-1/2 oz. baby arugula (about 4 cups)

about 14 oz. fresh (frozen) tuna

Preheat the oven to 425°. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" cubes. Scatter the potato cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss until coated. Season with salt and pepper and roast for about 25-30 minutes, until browned and crisp.

Pan-fry or grill the fish, then cut into bite-size pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the mustard and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the onion and arugula; add the fish. Top with the dressing, toss again and serve right away.