London Tuna Salad

I've had a very love/hate relationship with tuna fish over my lifetime. I remember that in my earliest phase of tuna salad consumption I'd only eat it if it was free of all the mix-ins that tend to be added (celery, as it gets stuck in one's teeth, and celery seeds--I remember wondering why on earth anyone ever added that one). Later on I gave up this puritanism and pursued only salads that did have celery and onions. Still later, I was introduced to a version in which the tuna was mixed so thoroughly and abundantly with mayonnaise that the end result was more like tuna cream, and decided that it was, indeed, the tuna epitome. Throughout all these fluctuations one thing I've noticed is that I seem to only be able to stomach one version of tuna salad at each point in my life--I think something about the fishiness or mayo-iness subtly skeeves me out to where I only find it acceptable in a single format at any given time. 


I could have worse problems. 


This recipe has, for the past few years, endured as my tuna of choice. It was introduced to me by a friend who first had it in London, England (hence its christening) and it incorporates an unexpected ingredient--apples. 

Here's the cast of characters (has The Pioneer Woman trademarked that phrase yet?)--canned tuna, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, and an apple (the cheese is optional, used in a version of tuna salad sandwich in which the salad is topped with cheese slices and toasted). 


Simple ingredients, and the method is simple as well--drain the can of tuna, combine with a few tablespoons of mayo, and stir in salt, pepper, and chopped apples. 

A couple tips: mix the tuna and mayonnaise completely before adding the apples pieces. This way, the tuna breaks down uniformly in the mayonnaise and creates a homogeneous, creamy base for the apples. I've found that when I add the apple before the mayo, my tuna pieces are clumpy, and the effort of trying to stir the chunks away often mushes up the apples. On that note--use tart, firm apples! This is not a a recipe for using up old, mushy ones (this is, but we'll get to that later). 

This tuna salad is great on sandwiches or with crackers. When I first heard about the "secret" ingredient, I balked, but was an instant convert--the sweet/tart crunch of apples perfectly offsets the briny tuna and savory, creamy mayo in this salad. God only knows what weird tuna fixation I'll settle on next, but for now, at least, London Tuna Salad is here to stay. 


LONDON TUNA SALAD 
A Svelte Chef recipe
Makes two medium sandwiches, or one very generously filled sandwich 
Prep time: 10 minutes 


Ingredients
One can tuna (preferably packaged in water)
3 tablespoons mayo, or to taste 
A pinch each of salt and pepper (remember that mayo adds saltiness, so add salt after mayo and check to taste)
One quarter to one half (see note below) of a fresh apple (I recommend Granny Smiths, though the above pictures feature Gala. As long as the apple is fresh, sweetness shouldn't be too much of an issue, though I'd stay away from very mellow varieties such as Yellow Delicious)


Optional: slices of sharp cheese (I recommend sharp cheddar, or my favorite, Red Leicester)


Method
Drain tuna. Add mayo and whisk together with a fork until well mixed. Add pepper and salt to taste. Dice your apple (cored and seeded) medium-fine and fold it into the tuna mixture. If using cheese to make a tuna melt sandwich, top a slice of bread with tuna salad and slices of cheese, and put it under the broiler for a couple minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is slightly toasted (I recommend the broiler over regular oven settings or the microwave because it will toast your cheese while not heating the tuna all the way through). Top with another slice of bread and enjoy!


Note: I have fiddled with the apple to tuna ratio plenty, and I've found that I can make it as much as 1:1 without sacrificing any tuna flavor, since the fish is so intense compared to the apples. I'd recommend starting with less apple and upping the quantity with each successive time you make it until you reach the ratio you prefer. I like to make a very apple-heavy salad because for one thing, it's healthy, and it also cuts the cost, as apples are a lot cheaper than tuna where I live. (Speaking of which, that sadly is not my kitchen in the top photo, but that of my roommate's family. The kitchen of my NYC apartment involves a lot less sunlight and a lot more psychopathic pigeons).