Shared by Rob Clement
Shared by Rob Clement
Tuna Fish Salad
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 15 minutes, plus chilling time
Tuna Fish Salad
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 15 minutes, plus chilling timeFamily Journey
Galicia (present-day western Ukraine and southern Poland)New YorkWilkes Barre, PA
New York CityWashington D.C.Miami
Charlotte, NC
This classic tuna fish salad recipe from chef Rob Clement's grandmother is amped up with sweet Vidalia onion, a diced half-sour pickle, and a splash of tangy red wine vinegar.
When Rob was little, his grandmother Dorothy — who went by Ma in the family — used to sneak rye-onion rolls into her purse when they ate at the now-shuttered Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House in Miami. “For the past 25-30 years I thought my grandmother was a bread grifter,” Rob says.
The next day, Rob would watch from his perch in Ma’s 1970s yellow bucket chair as she made chopped liver and tuna fish salad, which she served with the pilfered rolls. Sometimes, she would use them to make tuna melts. “We’d sit... and we’d eat and do what grandmothers and their grandsons do and talk,” Rob adds. The lunches were their private tradition, never shared with siblings or Rob’s parents.
Cooking note: This recipe and Ma's chopped liver can be made on their own or together. If you plan to make both of them on the same day, start with the tuna salad and use the leftover grated onion and its juices in the chopped liver recipe.
Read more about Rob Clement family in "A Chopped Liver That Binds the Generations."
Ingredients
- 2 5-ounce cans of tuna (preferably a sustainable brand packed in water)
- 1 small Vidalia onion, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup celery, diced
- 1 half-sour pickle, diced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
For serving
- Sliced bread or onion rolls
Preparation
Step 1
Peel the Vidalia onion and grate over a bowl or pulse in a food processor. Transfer the onion into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl to drain. Reserve the liquid from the onion.
Step 2
Drain the tuna and place it in a large mixing bowl. Add ⅓ cup of grated onion, along with the red onion, celery, and pickle. Using a fork, mix until well combined. Add mayonnaise one spoonful at a time, folding it into the tuna mixture, until you reach your desired consistency.
Step 3
Add the dill, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, vinegar, and white pepper and mix well to combine. Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before serving.
Step 4
Serve on sliced bread or onion rolls. Tuna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
