Ensalada de atún de abue (Granny's Tuna Salad)

Tuna salad can be used in many ways, and it is generally well-liked. (I know a woman who detest any kind of fish or seafood but would eat tuna salad.) Being Mexican, my grandmother would add jalapeño peppers and lime; she also added a splash of olive oil to make the salad a bit richer. I've added some non-Mexican elements, like dill or tarragon. Check out the blog entry that gives you different ideas on how to use this salad as an ingredient.

Ingredients

2 cans of tuna

3 tbsp mayonnaise

several pickled jalapeño pepper slices, chopped

1 tsp juice from the pickled jalapeños

juice of 1/4 a lime

1 celery stalk, chopped or sliced (see note)

1 tbsp Lipton's onion soup mix (with dried onion pieces removed, see note)

2 tsp fresh dill or tarragon, chopped (or 1/2 tsp dried dill or tarragon)

a splash of olive oil

Take the tuna out of the can and mash it (see note below). Mix it with the mayonnaise until you have the desired texture. Then add the soup mix until you are satisfied with the taste. (If I'm using the salad as a filling, I will make it a bit salty.) Mix in the rest of the ingredients. Chill for 1/2 hour and keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes

Please note that I don't measure ingredients; I mix until I get the desired texture and flavor. This means that the measurements I give you are approximations as a guideline, and every measure is "or to taste."

I prefer the tuna to be well mixed, as I don't like to bite into tuna chunks. The technique I use is the same as to mash avocado: open the can of chunk tuna and "skim" with a fork, starting with a good amount of pressure. This will start breaking up the flesh, so in the end you get a "fluffy" mass. In the end, this makes the salad more like a paste.

I like my tuna salad to have some heat, so I use many jalapeño slices. When I'm making it for people who prefer very little or no heat, what I do is to skip the jalapeños altogether, add more jalapeño pickle juice to replace the lime, and use lime zest instead of the juice. It's a different flavor, since the lime flavor is a bit more intense.

If you object to having Lipton's onion soup (yes, it has MSG), then you can use salt instead. However, I find using the soup mix makes a big difference. I tried other brands, and I found Lipton's to be the one I like the best. To remove the onion pieces, simply use a strainer.

I also like to slice the celery somewhat thinly. However, if I'm using the salad as a filling for something small, I prefer to chop the celery somewhat finely.

My mother also likes to add diced red pepper to the tuna salad. It makes the salad even better.