Retro Deli Tuna and Avocado Fat-Centric Bowl
LUNCH
Per serving: NET CARBS: 4 g | Total carbs: 12 g | Fiber: 8 g | Fat: 42 g | Protein: 25 g | Calories: ~510.
A tin of oil-packed yellowfin tuna, a halved Hass avocado, and a heavy scoop of Duke’s mayonnaise. A ten-minute Tuesday lunch window is exactly enough time to bypass the sad, weeping tuna salads of modern diet culture. The old-school deli masters understood a fundamental culinary truth: fat carries flavor. This recipe resurrects that authentic profile with a closely guarded secret: a tiny spoonful of schmaltz. Stripped of the unnecessary carbohydrate payload of traditional rye bread, the tuna is served inside the avocado. Mash it together with the back of a fork, hit it with salt, and the rest is just eating.
Before you start
Drain the tuna.
Ensure the canned tuna is thoroughly pressed and drained of water before beginning.
Mince the vegetables.
Finely mince the celery, red onion, and fresh herbs.
Halve the avocado.
Cut the avocado lengthwise, remove the pit, and leave the skin intact to serve as a bowl.
Ingredients
- solid white Albacore tuna, water-packed10 oz
- full-fat mayonnaise1/3 cup
- schmaltz or extra-virgin olive oil1 tsp
- celery1 med stalk
- red onion2 tbsp
- sugar-free sweet pickle relish1 tbsp
- fresh lemon juice1 tsp
- soy sauce or tamari1/2 tsp
- celery seed1/4 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- kosher salt1 large pinch
- Hass avocado1 large
- fresh dill or chives1 tbsp
Method
- 01
Purge the tuna of all moisture.
Aggressively press the drained tuna through a fine-mesh strainer or squeeze it by hand until exceptionally dry. Any residual water will break your mayonnaise emulsion and ruin the texture. Transfer to a bowl and flake thoroughly with a fork.
- 02
Build the deli emulsion.
Add the mayonnaise, schmaltz, celery, red onion, sugar-free relish, lemon juice, soy sauce, celery seed, black pepper, and salt to the flaked tuna. Fold aggressively with a rubber spatula until the tuna is practically whipped into the fats.
- 03
Pack the avocado bowls.
Season the exposed flesh of the halved avocados with a tiny pinch of salt. Generously pack the tuna salad into the cavity of each half, mounding it high.
- 04
Garnish and serve.
Sprinkle with minced fresh dill or chives and eat straight out of the skin with a spoon. If making ahead, refrigerate the tuna mixture overnight to let the dehydrated vegetables undergo osmosis and marry with the fat base.
Notes
Why this swap? The Avocado Vessel.
Traditional Jewish deli tuna is served on rye bread, which carries roughly 30g of net carbs. By utilizing a halved avocado, we eliminate the bread entirely while adding 15g of highly satiating monounsaturated fats and 7g of fiber, keeping net carbs at a strict 4g per serving.
Why this swap? Sugar-Free Relish.
Standard commercial sweet relish is packed with high-fructose corn syrup, adding up to 4g of sugar per tablespoon. Swapping to a verified sugar-free sweet relish or dill relish defends your state of ketosis without sacrificing the crucial sweet-and-sour crunch.
The Schmaltz Factor.
Do not skip the rendered chicken fat if you can help it. It is the historical secret weapon of the Ashkenazi Jewish deli, imparting a deep, umami-rich background note that elevates standard mayonnaise into the stratosphere.
The Umami Boost.
A half-teaspoon of soy sauce might seem out of place in a deli classic, but it's a foundational trick used by East Coast diners. It provides a hit of glutamates that amplify the savoriness of the tuna.
From Keto 10 Minute Meals.