How to make my own Tuna Deluxe??

amother

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 8:41 am

How to take a can of tuna and make it taste more like the store bought Tuna Deluxe type versions ?
Prefer something you personally have tried and do.

HeartyAppetite

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:14 am

I add onion soup mix to my tuna.

avrahamama

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:24 am

You gotta use a blender/food processor. First do the celery and red onions then the tuna, mayo, spices (I do everything bagel seasoning) and a bit of bread crumbs (!). Pulse. And you have deli style tuna.

Amarante

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:28 am

I don't know exactly what that would taste like but I pride myself on my tuna salad. The secrets for me are very finely minced celery and a small bit of finely minced onion. Lemon juice is also essential.

Coincidentally there was an article on Juilia Child's tuna salad sandwich recipe which was one of her favorite lunches. It tracked my own version pretty closely but I might add cornichons and capers the next time I make it.

I do find that it is best when I make it ahead of time and it is refrigerated - not as good if I eat it right after making it.

Here is the Julia Child version

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE TUNA SALAD:

1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in oil, drained
3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s, plus more for spreading
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion, preferably Vidalia
3 to 4 cornichons, finely chopped
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped if large, or 5 olives, pitted and chopped
Fresh lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground pepper, preferably white
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or parsley (optional)

FOR ASSEMBLY:

2 toasted English muffins (preferably Bays) or 4 untoasted white bread slices
4 soft lettuce leaves, such as Boston
4 tomato slices
4 thin slices onion (optional

PREPARATION
Prepare the tuna salad: Using a fork, mash the tuna with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise. Add the celery, as much onion and chopped cornichons as you’d like, and the capers or olives, and toss to combine. Add a squirt of lemon juice, some salt (go easy at first) and pepper. Taste and see if you'd like more mayo, onion or cornichons. Add more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives or parsley, if you’re using either. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.) The tuna salad is good to go as soon as it’s made, but it’s even better after a couple of hours in the fridge.

When you’re ready to serve, spread the muffins or bread with a little mayonnaise. If you’re using English muffins, do what Julia did: Make open-face sandwiches. Put a leaf of lettuce on each muffin half, top with tuna salad and finish with tomato and onion. If you’re using sliced bread, prepare traditional sandwiches: Top each of 2 slices of bread with 1 piece lettuce, tomato and onion, then spread over the tuna and finish with remaining onion, tomato, lettuce and bread

avrahamama

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:40 am

Amarante that sounds delish. I love capers. I think I need to start offering this kind of food more. The kids will get used to it and then I'll start enjoying eating with them

ra_mom

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:44 am

Breadcrumbs. About 3 tbsp each mayo and crumbs.

Amarante

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:45 am

avrahamama wrote:

Amarante that sounds delish. I love capers. I think I need to start offering this kind of food more. The kids will get used to it and then I'll start enjoying eating with them

It would be relatively easy to make the tuna salad and then just take out enough for the adults or those with more sophisticated or adventurous palates and add the cornichons.

amother

Blush

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:46 am

I add hard boiled eggs minced carrot and celery and mix with mayo. Similar to some store bought ones

Amarante

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 9:47 am

Interesting that breadcrumbs are added since I am assuming they were used in commercial tuna salad as a way to bulk it up with a cheaper ingredient and it has been transmuted from a cost saving measure to a desired end result.

amother

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 10:35 am

Wonderful tips! You all are amazing!

avrahamama

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 10:52 am

Amarante wrote:

Because it adds a smoothness to the tuna. Makes it spreadable. Deli tuna is more of a spread than a salad.

Hashem_Yaazor

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 12:47 pm

Break up tuna with a gloved hand. Add in onion powder, seasoned salt, and white pepper. Add in grated carrot and finely minced celery. Mix with your hand. Add just enough mayo to bind. Mix again. The hand mixing is crucial. Also not to overdo the mayo is key.
And use real mayonnaise, not reduced fat which isn't really healthier anyway.

Amarante

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 1:07 pm

avrahamama wrote:

Because it adds a smoothness to the tuna. Makes it spreadable. Deli tuna is more of a spread than a salad.

Okay - thanks for clarifying. Smile

Tuna isn't something I ordinarily eat out or buy pre-made since I like my own and it's simple to make at home since I always have the ingredients.

avrahamama

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 1:24 pm

Amarante wrote:

Okay - thanks for clarifying. Smile

Tuna isn't something I ordinarily eat out or buy pre-made since I like my own and it's simple to make at home since I always have the ingredients.

It's a great thing to run into a supermarket and buy when you are out and don't want to take the kids to a pizza place. You buy a container of deli tuna, some crackers and clementines and lunch is ready and easier to feed in the park.

amother

Denim

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 1:41 pm

Hashem_Yaazor wrote:

I use olive oil mayo which is lower fat. Why wouldn’t it be healthier? It’s like half the calories and olive oil is healthier.

Amarante

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 1:49 pm

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

I use olive oil mayo which is lower fat. Why wouldn’t it be healthier? It’s like half the calories and olive oil is healthier.

Not all olive oil is lower fat and there are lower fay mayonnaise not made with olive oil.

However the advice to use the best mayonnaise is based on taste since mayonnaise is an important factor in the final results.

Many of the lower fat mayonnaise products up other ingredients and aren't as good tasting as Hellman's or Best (depending on west or east of the Mississippi LOL

)

But if you like the taste, go for it. I make tuna with yogurt sometimes when I am trying to keep my calorie count low and I am fine with the results because I up the flavor profile with other stuff so the taste of the mayonnaise is completely irrelevant to the final product.

avrahamama

Fri, Oct 23 2020, 1:54 pm

Amarante wrote:

And I use techina! If it's going in a pita with Israeli pickles and jalapenos it's amazing.

FranticFrummie

Sat, Oct 24 2020, 1:59 pm

I find that red onions make all the difference.

I also do mine "Israeli style" with chopped hardboiled egg, diced black and green olives, and sometimes chopped dill pickle. Celery is a must. If I don't have celery, I won't even bother making it.

I love Hellman's (Best Foods) Mayonnaise. It's expensive in Israel, so I save it for things where the taste really needs to come through. For things like salad dressing or dip bases, I use store brand mayo, or make my own from scratch.

Hashem_Yaazor

Sat, Oct 24 2020, 6:16 pm

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

I use olive oil mayo which is lower fat. Why wouldn’t it be healthier? It’s like half the calories and olive oil is healthier.

It depends if you define healthier as less fat alone.
The "lighter" mayonnaises still have the soybean oil (either with water or olive oil) and then they add grain based "modified food starch" and usually sugar as well.
I don't use a lot of mayonnaise in my tuna (which I realized now is the salad type, but the spread type, but oh so good!) And so I don't care if my portion of tuna has what, 5-10 calories more? It tastes better and has ingredients I'm more comfortable with...

Amarante

Sun, Oct 25 2020, 8:19 am

avrahamama wrote:

And I use techina! If it's going in a pita with Israeli pickles and jalapenos it's amazing.

Thanks for this lightbulb moment - it sounds delicious and I never would have thought of this combination.

Not sure what Israeli pickles are though but I assume any pickled type of vegetable would work to give it a hit of brininess. Smile

The iconic New Orleans Muffaletta Po'Boy sandwiches use the Italian Giardiniera in their sandwiches