Tuna Salad a la Scarlett
By Tejal Rao
Yield: serves 4 as a side or 2 as a dinner
Time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour for pickling the onions
½ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 red onion , peeled, halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3 Persian cucumbers, peeled if skin is thick and waxy, sliced about ¼ inch thick
2 spring onions, thinly sliced (of chives)
2 lines, juiced, about ¼ cup
5 to 7 ounces olive oil packed tuna
1 avocado, peeled and cubed
½ teaspoon or more finishing salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Handful of basil leaves, washed and torn
Handful of cilantro sprigs, washed and torn
Handful of mint leaves washed and torn
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Step 1
In a clean glass jar with a tightfitting lid, mix vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon kosher salt with ½ cup of hot water, shake until sugar is dissolved. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the onions let them sit for just a few seconds in the hot water, then drain well and transfer onions to the jar with the vinegar. The pickled onions will be ready to use in an hour, or can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week.
Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, dress the cucumber and spring onions with remaining kosher salt and lime juice. It should be fairly we. Pour into a deep serving plate or wide bowl, along with any extra liquid.
Step 3
Spoon tuna out of oil, use your hands to break up the tuna into bite sized pieces. Add avocado, 2 tablespoons of pickled onions and 1 table spoon of the pickling liquid and mix gently with your hands to dress. Scatter over the cucumber mixture, and season with finishing salt and black pepper. Cover with the torn herbs and generously drizzle with olive oil, eat right away