This tuna salad is the perfect way to kick off any celebration in Murcia. The Murcian salad is a great addition to a tapas spread or a perfect starter before the main course. The Murcian salad is a staple of summer dinners in the region, but it can be enjoyed year-round.
This traditional recipe for tuna salad from Murcia has been prepared in Murcian homes for many years, which is why the locals love it so much.
The dish is simple and contains only a few ingredients, but it has plenty of flavour. In the Murcia region it is known as mojete, but many simply call it ensalada murcia (Murcian salad). The recipe is ideal when sun-ripened tomatoes are not in season, as it is made from a base of canned peeled tomatoes – good quality, of course. A few more ingredients and a good extra virgin olive oil and the salad is ready.
I got the recipe during a visit to Murcia, where I attended a cooking workshop led by the renowned chef, Juan Guillamón, from the Alma Mater Restaurant in Murcia. The simple Murcian salad is so delicious that I want to share the recipe with you.
Recipe for Tuna Salad from Murcia
Ingredients for 4 people
700 g canned peeled tomatoes (good quality)
1 large spring onion
2 medium eggs
150 g canned tuna (good quality)
1 jar of Spanish black olives
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
How to do it
Cook the eggs in boiling water for about 10 minutes. The eggs must be hard-boiled, but the yolks must not be overcooked. Remove the eggs from the water and leave to cool.
Pour cold water and salt into a large bowl. Cut the spring onion into julienne strips and place the strips in the bowl of water for 15 minutes. Take the onion strips out of the bowl and rinse them. It will give the onion a milder taste.
Open the can of tomatoes and drain the liquid from the can. Do not squeeze the tomatoes so that they lose their juice. Cut the tomatoes into small, medium-sized pieces. It is a tradition that the tomato pieces in the salad are small, and only a few pieces are medium-sized.
Put the tomatoes in a salad bowl. Peel the cold eggs and cut them into thin or larger slices, as you wish. Open the can of tuna and drain the oil so that the salad does not get too much oil. Separate the tuna with a fork and put it in the salad bowl with the tomatoes. Then add the eggs and spring onions.
Finally, add the oil, season with extra olive oil and salt and toss the salad. You can slice some extra olives and garnish with them on top. Arrange the salad in small serving bowls or serve in the salad bowl.
You can easily serve the tuna salad from Murcia as part of a tapas spread, which can consist of a mix of tapas from several regions in Spain. The tapas spread could also include these honey-roasted eggplants, for example .
