Keep your canned charlie tuna in the pantry

We rarely do anything simple in this house. This meal is an elevated tuna salad. A little bit of nostalgia and a little funk keeps us coming back for more. It is a fair amount of chopping but we love this the next day…so make extra. On multigrain it’s an orchestra of flavor that will leave you dreaming about it that night. John came up with this one, so there is a fair amount of heat. Simply back off on the chilis. 

.75 lb of Tuna …. frozen is fine, doesn’t need to be sushi grade ;)

2 medium carrots

4 celery stalks

1/2 red onion 

4 scallions

2 serranos 

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 TBS fresh grated ginger

2 TBS pickled ginger + pickling liquid to add to the mix

3 TBS relish

1 c mayo…. more or less to desired consistency

2 TBS pickled ginger juice 

2  TBS honey 

2  TBS rice vine vinegar 

2 TBS soy

dash of cayenne 

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp coriander 

Pat tuna dry. Heat skillet on medium-high heat until golden brown on one side and almost completely opaque (7 minutes), flip and cook for about 4 minutes on the other side. Add 2 TBS rice wine vinegar and 2 TBS soy sauce to the skillet. It will splatter and hiss. Turn off burner and add 2 tsp of honey. Swirl the pan to coat the tuna, then flip to coat other side. This process makes the tuna extra yummy, salty, and adds a nice crust. Transfer tuna to a plate and let cool. Now chop the veg. Finely mince carrots, onion, and chilis. Chop celery (we like it a little larger for a good crunch). Add to LARGE bowl. Slice scallions, chop cilantro, and dice pickled ginger. Add to bowl. Add grated ginger, relish, mayo, ginger juice, and spices. Now break up tuna into small pieces using your hands. Mix everything well. You may need more mayonnaise if it looks dry. Taste for seasoning. Fresh bread is a must with this one! And a cold beer completes the meal👍😉