Curried Tuna Salad
When Stephan and I were dating back in the early 90s, we would often go to this take-out gourmet shop on Lexington Avenue called Word of Mouth (not far from his Glorious Food offices) and pick up Curried Tuna Salad, plus a few other items, and head to Central Park with our food and picnic blanket in hand. I'd never eaten curried tuna before, but when I did, I immediately realized why Stephan wouldn't leave the tiny shop without it. When we moved out of New York City, we started making it at home, trying to recreate its deliciousness. Neither of us really follow a recipe, as we tend to throw in whatever crunchy vegetables we have on hand. The version above, for example, has chopped fennel, which is not something I recall in the original version, but it adds a nice flavor and crunch. So do apples, celery, red onion and carrots. And while it is rare that I use mayo at Kitchen 511, this is one of those times that it's essential.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 cans (5 oz. each) tuna (I prefer tuna in olive oil vs. water and drain off about half of the oil before using)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise (add more, if needed)
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 of an apple, cored and chopped
1/4 of a small red onion, minced
1/4 of a small fennel bulb, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 small celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons golden raisins (or dark raisins or currants)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Place all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Serve on your favorite bread (I used a flaky croissant above) or atop lettuce drizzled with olive oil and with sliced avocado.
