Toss boiled pasta, pineapple, pickle relish, celery, carrot, Japanese mayo and cheese, chill and enjoy.
Cook’s notes
I grew up with chicken macaroni salad. I loved it until I decided that I didn’t like the stringiness of shredded boiled chicken. I liked it even less when I realized that boiled chicken is bland compared to broiled or grilled marinated chicken. After a while, I just ditched the chicken and substituted canned tuna, ham or bacon. None are traditional, but they are all delicious.
How much tuna, pineapple, pickle relish, celery and carrot to add to your macaroni depends entirely on you. Treat the amounts given below as a guide rather than a strict formula.
Tuna
There are several varieties of canned tuna. Chunks. Flakes. In water, brine or oil. Spicy or not spicy. I prefer spicy tuna in oil. If you have young kids at home who may balk at the spiciness, choose non-spicy. But please choose tuna in oil over tuna in water or brine.Pineapple
I recommend fresh pineapple which has a lovely balance of sweetness and tang. If you have to use canned pineapple, toss with a half a teaspoon of lemon or calamansi juice to make it less cloying.Carrot
I must confess that I am not a fan of raw carrot. I don’t like how it rolls in my mouth. My trick is to boil it shortly just to alter the texture. The short cooking time also make it easier to chop. This step is optional. If you enjoy raw carrot, by all means, skip the cooking part.Tuna macaroni salad
Ingredients
- 200 grams macaroni (7 oz)
- salt
- 1 small carrot peeled and halved lengthwise
- ½ cup drained canned tuna flakes in oil (spicy is recommended)
- ½ cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 2 heaping tablespoons pickle relish
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery stalk
- ½ cup Japanese mayo
- 1 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is recommended)
- ground pepper
- chopped parsley to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Boil about eight cups of water with a tablespoon of salt.
- Drop in the carrot halves and macaroni.
- Fish out the carrot halves after five minutes, and chop.
- Continue cooking the macaroni until al dente, drain well and dump into a mixing bowl. Stir gently for a few minutes to cool.
- To the macaroni, add the tuna, pineapple, pickle relish, celery and carrot.
- Add the mayo, half a teaspoon of salt, a quarter teaspoon of pepper and toss to combine.
- Stir in the cheese.
- Chill the tuna macaroni salad then give it a taste. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. If it appears too dry, add more mayo and toss.
- Serve your tuna macaroni salad as a side dish or snack.
Crowne Plaza Hong Kong-style congee