boudreaulicious wrote:

sdbond wrote:
Wasn't there a rock album released in the '60s or early '70s titled "You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tunafish?" I don't remember the band off-hand (could it possibly have been Hot Tuna?? That would be too easy ...).

REO Speedwagon!!

Now how on Earth could I have forgotten that??

There was a great tuna salad recipe in Cook's Illustrated a few years ago that's become our standby. It uses s & p and mayo, plus a good dollop of prepared horseradish, lime zest, and chopped parsley. Makes a great alternative to the standard recipe.

My favorite is one without mayo. I start with a reasonably good tuna packed in oil, usually an Italian brand like Ortiz, although the domestic Cento will do fine, too. I kind of wing it from here, but it's always capers, lemon juice (and/or your preferred vinegar), anchovies, fresh cracked black pepper, and very finely diced onion. Sometimes, I might add a fresh herb like tarragon, dill, or parsley. Additional olive oil, if needed.

I know I'm late to this party, but I'm with Binko regarding avoiding the mayo - and, more heretically, it seems, given the preferences generally expressed in this thread, I absolutely avoid any sweet elements. I go for oil-packed high quality stuff, with lemon juice, capers, minced scallion, minced cornichon, dijon mustard, and optional celery.

drained tuna (either chunk light or albacore) + mayo. that's it. on soft-ish wheat bread.

maybe a squeeze of lemon or sprinkle of curry powder if it's handy. If I'm getting really fancy I might chop up some cornichons.

my other tuna recipe is similarly elaborate: open can of good quality olive-oil packed tuna. eat from can.

Binko wrote:...usually an Italian brand like Ortiz

Ortiz is Spanish

EvA wrote:I always add chopped hard-boiled egg to my tuna salad.

I usually do this as well.

My other common additions to the standard mayo-onion-celery-s&p recipe are a dollop of Henri's Tas-tee Dressing and some capers. I have been known to add tarragon, savory or thyme.

When I don't want straightforward tuna, I add a heavy amount of curry powder.

For the sandwich, I prefer toasted bread, either challah or whole wheat, spread with additional mayo and some lettuce, ideally iceberg.

sarcon wrote:

Binko wrote:...usually an Italian brand like Ortiz

Ortiz is Spanish

D'oh! You would think I would have noticed based on the name before typing that. Good quality Spanish or Italian tuna.

If I'm feeling very industrious, I'll poach some nice tuna slowly in grapeseed oil and then use that oil augmented half/half with more (unpoached) grapeseed oil to make a tuna flavored mayo. If using oil packed tuna, drain oil and use whatever it yields to make mayo.


Mix tuna mayo with (to personal taste):

Juice of half a lemon plus a pinch of microplaned zest.
Chopped tarragon
Squirts of dijon and whole grain mustard
Chopped pickles and capers (or if I'm feeling lazy, a hefty spoon of sweet relish)
Finely minced shallot
Salt the mayo mixture
Many generous turns of cracked black pepper.

Add tuna. Salt again. Perfection

I've always hated celery in tuna/chicken/egg salads, but if you insist on adding it, be sure to peel first.

Hi,

I did make tuna fish for my food history group's meeting. My original plan was to make two different kinds of tuna fish salads. That is until I could not find the second can of tuna. I used a can of skipjack tuna, which I later learned is not a tuna though few tuna experts can tell the difference.

I made pretty much a classic tuna sandwich filling: finely chopped onion and celery, some capers, lots of pepper and just enough mayo to keep it together. This was a four-pound can when I am used to seven-ounce cans, I really wasn't quite sure if I had proportions right.

I bought Pepperidge Farm sandwich bread, which I realized later this nearly squared off bread was a Pullman loaf. The same one-pound loaf could be purchased with extra thin slices for 50 cents more. If it had been the same price, I might have considered buying.

On the side, I made egg salad and pimento cheese. You never know when a vegetarian might show up.

I will definitely use some of the fresh ideas (to me, at least) for future sandwiches at home.

Thanks!

Regards,

My tuna fish recipe varies depending on if I'm dieting. What I have in the house or what I have a taste for.

- Standard tuna recipe w/mayo, celery and chopped hard boiled egg.
- Tuna mixed with a bit of Italian dressing.
- Tuna and a bit of lemon pepper or garlic based seasoning.

I have used tuna packed in spring water over the years, but have switched to imported oil-packed tuna.

Ms. Ingie wrote:I have used tuna packed in spring water over the years, but have switched to imported oil-packed tuna.

This is an argument in our house. I like the more fully flavored oil-packed tuna. Himself prefers water-packed.

I buy albacore when possible.

Here's mine:

Mix together

mayo
lemon juice
celery seed
minced celery
minced onion
salt
ground black pepper

and adjust seasonings to taste then add to hand-flaked tuna, mixing well (I've been buying Kirkland albacore but sometimes get a tasts for regular old "light" tuna for it's stronger taste.)

Couldn't decide whether to post here or on the Costco thread, but i just picked up a 6-pack of Wild Planet albacore from Costco today. Delicious and a bargain at $15 and change.

tuna is my good to late nite food... i make mine pretty basic like most of ya'll ...only difference is i eat mine on a nice french bread with a slice or two of avocado...one of my favorite combos

You can tune a piano but you can't tune a fish. Dinner with the bride.




Tuna fish sandwich, count me a Fan!

I haven't changed up my purist recipe (tuna/mayo/chopped pickle) but I've been adding copious amounts of "everything but the bagel" topping. Just bought a bag of fried pickle chips from Costco, which also seems like a natural add-in. Next batch.

There exist many great recipes for Tuna Fish Sandwich but equally important is the Tuna.
After reading all the claims and counter claims, I sought out a USA based processor and settled on Chuck’s Solid White Albacore. No salt.
https://www.chucksseafood.com/canned-se ... w--no-salt
When you order by 12 or 24 case, no shipping charge.
The variety known as Chunk Light is mostly Tuna mush these days.
https://www.bumblebee.com/the-differenc ... anned-tuna

We also order Chuck’s Chinook Salmon and the only complaint is from my Son in that there is no customary skin and bones in the can!

Mt recipe is simple but the bread, type of Mayo all are important.
Usually a toasted all grain bread, Kewpie Mayo and finely chopped celery and green onion. A dash of Worcestershire and/or Crystal hot sauce.
-Richard

My favorite Tuna Salad is the Roman Tuna Salad at Whole Foods, while I haven't had it since the Amazon purchase,
I have tweaked my own recipe to include Kalamata Olives EVO red wine vinegar and less Mayo.

The tuna at Foodstuffs is really the way I like it, however it is expensive. I have finally developed what I like at home:
Albacore in water tuna, well-drained and finely chopped out of the can, mayo, a tad of lemon juice, celery salt (sparingly), celery seed.
BTW, I feel I am very particular about tuna taste, and one could argue canned tuna is canned tuna, but I do feel like some taste better than others.
I enjoy the Member's Mark brand (house) at Sam's club.

jilter wrote:The tuna at Foodstuffs is really the way I like it, however it is expensive. I have finally developed what I like at home:
Albacore in water tuna, well-drained and finely chopped out of the can, mayo, a tad of lemon juice, celery salt (sparingly), celery seed.
BTW, I feel I am very particular about tuna taste, and one could argue canned tuna is canned tuna, but I do feel like some taste better than others.
I enjoy the Member's Mark brand (house) at Sam's club.

Wild Planet is especially good. They add only salt (no liquid is added) and it's sustainably sourced (only smaller albacore). Delicious.

I love tuna salad, and have tasted many specialty tunas over the course of my career. I like what I like and that is albacore in water; StarKist, Bumblebee in a pinch. I know this reads so plebeian, but all of those specialty bottled tunas are just to luxurious for me. I am, at the end of the day, a barbarian. A Texan, who wants what he wants and all you esplette-flecked European tunas can GFYRSVLS. I like telling a tuna to go fuck itself, they have a hard enough life, right. I want to pile on. So, albacore in water, Hellman's(and ONLY Hellman's), French's yellow mustard, kosher salt(Diamond, axiomatically), fresh-cracked black pepper(I use an exotic variety, if I have one at hand, they are more floral, but Tellicherry, if not). And, my secret ingredient is a mere splash of Chipotle Tabasco. The chile sauce gives this melange a hint of, "hmm, what is that?"No, extras, feh, extras. This slathered on slices of, always, toasted whole wheat is my favorite. Sometimes I throw some cheddar, only cheddar, atop, and pop it back open-faced in the toaster oven.

Christopher Gordon wrote:I love tuna salad, and have tasted many specialty tunas over the course of my career. I like what I like and that is albacore in water; StarKist, Bumblebee in a pinch. I know this reads so plebeian, but all of those specialty bottled tunas are just to luxurious for me. I am, at the end of the day, a barbarian. A Texan, who wants what he wants and all you esplette-flecked European tunas can GFYRSVLS. I like telling a tuna to go fuck itself, they have a hard enough life, right. I want to pile on. So, albacore in water, Hellman's(and ONLY Hellman's), French's yellow mustard, kosher salt(Diamond, axiomatically), fresh-cracked black pepper(I use an exotic variety, if I have one at hand, they are more floral, but Tellicherry, if not). And, my secret ingredient is a mere splash of Chipotle Tabasco. The chile sauce gives this melange a hint of, "hmm, what is that?"No, extras, feh, extras. This slathered on slices of, always, toasted whole wheat is my favorite. Sometimes I throw some cheddar, only cheddar, atop, and pop it back open-faced in the toaster oven.

Christopher,

I hate tuna salad, and only looked at this thread because I saw your post. I try to read all of your posts, informative and in cases like this, extremely funny. You crack me up with your 'rules' and how passionate you are regarding them. The world needs more people with strong convictions. Thanks for your efforts to post on a Chicago board. We are lucky to have you as a regular contributor.

Best,
Al

Al Ehrhardt wrote:

Christopher Gordon wrote:I love tuna salad, and have tasted many specialty tunas over the course of my career. I like what I like and that is albacore in water; StarKist, Bumblebee in a pinch. I know this reads so plebeian, but all of those specialty bottled tunas are just to luxurious for me. I am, at the end of the day, a barbarian. A Texan, who wants what he wants and all you esplette-flecked European tunas can GFYRSVLS. I like telling a tuna to go fuck itself, they have a hard enough life, right. I want to pile on. So, albacore in water, Hellman's(and ONLY Hellman's), French's yellow mustard, kosher salt(Diamond, axiomatically), fresh-cracked black pepper(I use an exotic variety, if I have one at hand, they are more floral, but Tellicherry, if not). And, my secret ingredient is a mere splash of Chipotle Tabasco. The chile sauce gives this melange a hint of, "hmm, what is that?"No, extras, feh, extras. This slathered on slices of, always, toasted whole wheat is my favorite. Sometimes I throw some cheddar, only cheddar, atop, and pop it back open-faced in the toaster oven.

Christopher,

I hate tuna salad, and only looked at this thread because I saw your post. I try to read all of your posts, informative and in cases like this, extremely funny. You crack me up with your 'rules' and how passionate you are regarding them. The world needs more people with strong convictions. Thanks for your efforts to post on a Chicago board. We are lucky to have you as a regular contributor.

Best,
Al

Agree 1000%.

Christopher,

Try adding a squeeze of anchovie paste. It is a great background flavor.