Spicy Tuna Salad

Here's a simple recipe that doesn't need a rice cooker nor a stove. And should also make use of your leftover Sriracha sauce from the wings the other day.

Back in early 2016, I used to intern for a (now defunct) modern Japanese bistro back in the Philippines. I could have kept working for them if it weren't for the toxic environment their kitchen started having, but it wasn't as if I didn't learn anything out of my three months there. One of the things I learned while working there—which to this day I have not forgotten—is how to make spicy mayo. This wasn't just some store brand mayo with hot sauce in it though; this was exactly the kind of spicy mayo that just screams Japanese when its flavors make contact with your taste buds and explode in an overwhelming umami climax inside your mouth.

At the bistro I worked at, this spicy mayo was combined with tuna (sometimes salmon) tartare and served on a salad where the greens outnumbered the spicy tuna. As a customer I find that total bullshit, man. Why? Because I may have paid money to eat the salad, but I taste more greens than the spicy mayo, which is boring as shit. Well if you want something delicious, I say try making it yourself, eh?

This recipe is good for two.

Ingredients:

• 150 g tuna or salmon slab
• 100 g lettuce
• 100 g microgreens
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 1 pc cucumber
• 40 g Sriracha sauce
• 80 g Japanese mayonnaise
• 10 g Japanese soy sauce
• 10 g sesame oil
• 5 g togarashi
• Salt and pepper as needed

Mise en place. Scallions and broccoli sprouts optional.

The basics of your spicy mayo.

1. Wash your veggies. Eating veggies that have bits of soil stuck in them isn't exactly the most hygenic thing ever, trust me.
2. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half.
3. Make round slices of your cucumber.
4. Take your slab of fish and start slicing them into small cubes.
5. In a separate container, mix Sriracha, mayonnaise, soy sauce, sesame oil, and togarashi. Season it as you please.
6. Serve the spicy tuna with the greens and veggies you've prepared.

Here's another way to plate your salad. Not exactly the cleanest plating but it works.

And that's it. Easy, healthy, and no hassle.

Now you might notice that rather than following the recipe I was taught during my internship, I decided to dice the fish instead. The tuna was mushed originally anyway so that it could be wrapped properly inside a sushi roll without it being so difficult to fit everything inside. Besides, this is a spicy tuna salad recipe, not a spicy tuna roll. But hey, there's an idea for a new sharehouse recipe, eh?

Wanna take your spicy mayo up a notch and make it a little spicier, but Sriracha and togarashi aren't cutting it? You could try adding in some rāyu (ラー油), which is essentially Japanese chili oil. This stuff is usually mixed in with soy sauce and vinegar when you eat gyoza. Just turn down your Sriracha and togarashi use and add a few drips of this oil into your mayo. Only recommended if you use it in your kitchen very often.

On the other hand, if your sauce tastes too spicy for you, you don't need to add too much of the Sriracha, togarashi, or even the rāyu. Feel free to adjust your spicy mayo as you see fit.

If you also have any panko (パン粉, Japanese breadcrumbs for tempura) flakes, sprinkle some on top for some extra crunch to your smooth-feeling salad. Texture variety matters!

I made this after I made the messier looking salad, which explains why this plating is cleaner and has no cucumbers.

With your salad all prettied up, it's time for you to ruin your hard work plating it and chow down, just like you're supposed to. Meshiagatte kudasai!