This is more than a tuna salad. This is a meal in a tortilla, a salad on greens to linger over with wine, hors d’oeuvre on chips, or an ultra tasty wrap in a swirl of your favorite cheese!
Albacore as everyone likes it. My general sizing recommendations are: use one if it’s on the large end of the size spectrum, use two if it’s on the small end, etc.
12 to 15 ounces (approximately) of cooked, flaked tuna
2-3 stalks of celery, in a fine dice
1-2 carrots, shredded
1-2 pickled cucumbers (dill pickles are my favorite)
red pepper flakes (optional)
1 large dollop of Dijon mustard
3-4 large dollops of mayonnaise
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste.
Process
Let’s start by saying that I really don’t measure anything. If it looks like enough, it’s enough. If it doesn’t, add more. By the same token, if there’s something in the refrigerator that looks like it belongs, put it in! This is one of those “family” recipes where the cook adds and subtracts “to taste.”
First step is to get out a large mixing bowl, a cutting board and your favorite knife.
Flake the tuna into the bowl. I generally use canned albacore tuna, solid, white, in water. Albacore is mild and suits most taste buds. Actually, any tuna will do. Fluffed up, it should be in the neighborhood of 1.5 to 2 cups of tuna.
Wash the celery and carrots. I never bother to peel, but feel free to do so, if you like. Cut both lengthwise, into long, thin slivers. Then turn sideways and cut into a fine dice, approximately ¼ inch square, or less. Add to the bowl. There is a tool, photo here, that will do a very creditable job of creating long, skinny slivers without using a knife. Personally, I love my chef’s knife! I even use it for things it wasn’t designed to do.
Moving on, rinse the pickled cucumber. Using the same process, cut it into a small dice, and add to the bowl. If you’re pressed for time, or prefer the taste, there are commercially available pickle relishes, or spreads, that can serve the same purpose. I think Trader Joe still carries one called “sweet pickle relish” that serves nicely and saves a lot of time.
Sprinkle the sage, dill, salt and pepper over the top. At first, it’ll look like too much, but once mixed, it’ll be fine.
Now, add a dollop (I use a tablespoon, heaped to the point of dripping off) of mustard and most of the mayonnaise. Mix thoroughly. The mixture should hold together nicely, without being crumbly, or drippy. If I plan to use it on bread, I like it a bit more moist. If it’s added to lettuce, more dry. Add more mayonnaise as required to reach a suitable consistency.
For a tasty tuna sandwich, try preparing it open face, covered with a thick layer of tuna salad. Top with a generous amount of shredded or sliced cheddar, and toast until cheese is melted. If your taste buds lean to the spicy side, try a liberal sprinkle of red chile flakes before the toaster.
Be expressive with this dish! Use it as an appetizer, with a dollop of tuna on a tortilla chip and a dusting of chopped cilantro. Or top a plate of mixed greens with three good sized scoops of tuna salad and add the fruit of your choice.
Though tradition calls for an earthy white wine, I’ve often paired a spicy tuna mix with a strong red and had a wonderful repast. Enjoy your meal!
