Ellen Sweets’ Kick-Ass Tuna Salad

Nov 3rd, 2011 | By Cecilia | Category: blog, cook something, soups and salads, the show

Kick-Ass Tuna Salad

When you walk into Ellen Sweets’ kitchen, you know it gets used and used often. The counters overflow with small appliances and bottles and jars of herbs, spices, oils and goodness knows what else.

If you’re cooking in Ellen’s kitchen and you can’t find what you need–look harder.

She shares the small but well-stocked kitchen with her adult daughter, Hannah who is herself a chef. The two manage to live and cook together in harmony.

Ellen, a former food journalist for Denver Post and Dallas Morning news retired to Austin where she had many friends, including the late liberal newspaper columnist, Molly Ivins, who was also passionate about preparing and sharing food. Ellen documents their cooking adventures (and misadventures) in her memoir with recipes: Stirring it up with Molly Ivins, published by UT Press.

One recipe that Ellen developed–Ellen’s Kick-Ass Tuna Salad–became a hit with the folks that dined regularly with Molly and Ellen when Ellen was in town.

It’s tuna salad with great taste and attitude–much like the woman who created it.

Ellen Sweets making her Kick-Ass Tuna Salad

Ellen’s Kick -Ass Tuna Salad

Ingredients

1 Tb. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. anchovy paste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 or 2 garlic cloves, squeezed through a press
3 Tb. White wine vinegar
1 Tb. Water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tb. Mayonnaise
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 12-ounce can albacore white tuna, drained
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped

1/4 cup red onion, chopped fine
2 Tb. Fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup nonpareil capers
2 Tb. Black olives, pitted and chopped
1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. dried savory
1 tsp. Old bay, Zatarain’s or Tony Chachere Creole seasoning
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

In a small mixing bowl , or a wide mouth jar with a lid, combine the mustard, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, water, olive oil, mayonnaise, and black pepper. Whisk or shake well and set aside.
In a larger mixing bowl, using a fork, toss together tuna, celery, onion, parsley, capers, olives, dill weed, savory, seasoning, and eggs.
Add salad dressing and mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Stir to mix ingredients before serving.