Rice & Tuna Salad
1 cup arborio rice
1 6 oz can tuna (olive oil- or water-packed)
1 small clove garlic
1/4 – 1/2 red onion
6 green pimento-stuffed olives
1 small carrot
1 small rib celery
Small piece of jalapeño, deribbed and seeded
flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
olive oil (if necessary)
salt
pepper
Cook rice as you would pasta. Arborio or another type of risotto rice is needed for this recipe. Converted rice (like Uncle Ben’s) has all the texture and appeal of gravel when anything less than hot. Arborio remains a pleasant texture cold or at room temperature.
While the rice is cooking, dice all vegetables finely. You can use any vegetable you like, rather than those listed above, but don’t switch out the garlic, red onion, or olives. This salad should be pungent. The bland crunchiness of celery or even cucumber is a nice contrast to its pungency. Put all the vegetables in the bottom of the bowl.
Cook rice to slightly harder than al dente. drain well. Put the rice in the bowl on top of the vegetables. The heat from the rice will wilt the vegetables a bit. While the rice is still hot, add the vinegar. This is similar to the method sushi chefs use to season sushi rice. The hot rice will absorb the vinegar. Toss rice and vegetables together. Add the tuna. If using water-packed tuna, drain it first. Add enough olive oil just to make all ingredients glossy. If using oil-packed tuna, add the entire contents of the can, with no additional olive oil. Toss all ingredients with a fork to break up the tuna. Taste for salt and pepper. You probably won’t need much of either.
This salad gets better as it sits. If you’re not able make it a few hours in advance, store it in the refrigerator, or at room temperature while you force yourself to clean up that mess!
~Elena
1 6 oz can tuna (olive oil- or water-packed)
1 small clove garlic
1/4 – 1/2 red onion
6 green pimento-stuffed olives
1 small carrot
1 small rib celery
Small piece of jalapeño, deribbed and seeded
flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
olive oil (if necessary)
salt
pepper
Cook rice as you would pasta. Arborio or another type of risotto rice is needed for this recipe. Converted rice (like Uncle Ben’s) has all the texture and appeal of gravel when anything less than hot. Arborio remains a pleasant texture cold or at room temperature.
While the rice is cooking, dice all vegetables finely. You can use any vegetable you like, rather than those listed above, but don’t switch out the garlic, red onion, or olives. This salad should be pungent. The bland crunchiness of celery or even cucumber is a nice contrast to its pungency. Put all the vegetables in the bottom of the bowl.
Cook rice to slightly harder than al dente. drain well. Put the rice in the bowl on top of the vegetables. The heat from the rice will wilt the vegetables a bit. While the rice is still hot, add the vinegar. This is similar to the method sushi chefs use to season sushi rice. The hot rice will absorb the vinegar. Toss rice and vegetables together. Add the tuna. If using water-packed tuna, drain it first. Add enough olive oil just to make all ingredients glossy. If using oil-packed tuna, add the entire contents of the can, with no additional olive oil. Toss all ingredients with a fork to break up the tuna. Taste for salt and pepper. You probably won’t need much of either.
This salad gets better as it sits. If you’re not able make it a few hours in advance, store it in the refrigerator, or at room temperature while you force yourself to clean up that mess!
~Elena
