Once I consider seafood, I bear in mind a wonderful 15-day trip I took to the Riviera Maya, a shocking stretch of shoreline on the Caribbean aspect of Mexico the place I had a few of the greatest fish I’ve ever eaten. Whereas the resort I stayed at supplied luxurious preparations of citrusy ceviche and contemporary sashimi, it was a meal I had at a humble beachside bar that has actually caught with me within the years since: tuna salad.
One chew of the creamy, veggie-packed tuna, and I used to be immediately reminded of the ensalada de pollo (Mexican-style rooster salad) I grew up consuming. I used to be used to peas, carrots and potatoes in my rooster salad—however when it got here to tuna salad, my dad and mom made it the way in which they’d discovered whereas working at a Jewish deli referred to as Zucky’s, a Santa Monica, California, landmark that closed within the early ’90s. That model featured finely chopped onions and celery and candy and bitter pickle relish, so I had by no means considered making tuna salad some other method till that day on the seaside. After I scooped into the spicy, corn-studded salad, I knew I wanted to re-create it.
I later found that the tuna salad I had in Playa del Carmen was really a fairly frequent recipe discovered all through many elements of Mexico. The primary time I re-created it at dwelling, I missed the peas and carrots in my mother’s rooster model, so I made a decision to skip the corn, however preserve the spicy components, and thus, my model of tuna salad was born. I’ve been making it my method ever since, and the dish is a staple throughout the heat months of the yr once I dare not activate the oven. It’s grow to be a favourite dish that I typically flip to once I’m invited to a summer season potluck and I’m unsure what to convey or don’t have an enormous price range (it’s straightforward on the pockets and might feed fairly just a few folks when served as an appetizer).
My recipe begins with oil-packed tuna, as I discover it makes for a tastier salad than water-packed. I skip draining the oil, as an alternative utilizing it to taste the salad and add moisture, which additionally means I can use much less mayonnaise. Then, I mash it gently with a fork to interrupt up any large chunks. Right here’s the place issues get a bit totally different from the basic tuna salads you’ll discover in delicatessens throughout america. As an alternative of onion and celery, my spicy tuna salad has peas and carrots. And I need to be aware that whereas I do use frozen peas, boiling contemporary carrots is price the additional effort since they’ve a greater style and texture.
The opposite, maybe shocking, elements are cilantro and uncooked scorching chile peppers, both serrano or jalapeño, relying on what I’ve readily available and the way spicy I need the salad to be. Lemon juice provides a shiny be aware that cuts by way of the richness of the mayo and any overpowering fishy style or odor. The mix could also be totally different than something you’ve tried earlier than, nevertheless it’s actually scrumptious and refreshing on a heat day.
My beachside tuna salad got here with a aspect of fried yucca—a Latin staple, particularly in tropical areas, that tastes just like potato—however I normally pair it with saltine crackers, pile it excessive on crispy tostadas the way in which my mother at all times did along with her rooster salad, or generally serve it merely on a mattress of chilly, crunchy lettuce. It doesn’t matter what you pair my tuna salad recipe with, you may also discover it turning into a favourite in your house.
Photographer: Jacob Fox, Meals Stylist: Sammy Mila, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek.
