The Unexpected Pantry Staple That Gives Tuna Salad A Major Upgrade

You usually know exactly what you're getting with tuna salad. It's vaguely oceanic, heavily drenched in the mayo dressing's tangy richness, and predictably monotonous. Somewhere between popping the lid off the can of tuna and stirring the ingredients together, there's a simple way to avoid this. A single drizzle of fish sauce — yes, the very same driving force behind countless delicious Thai and Vietnamese dishes — is all you need to revive this overly familiar dish.

You wouldn't be able to tell from the funky smell alone, but with all the creative ways we have to use fish sauce, this condiment is quite the miracle worker. Anchovies fermented in salt and water give them a distinctive salty taste, with subtly sweet and savory complexity tangled underneath. This liquid umami is just what you need for a spruced-up tuna salad that doesn't hinge entirely on mayonnaise. Fish sauce amplifies the tuna's briny, oceanic undertone — arguably the cornerstone of a good tuna salad. Accompanying that are little flavor intricacies, seeming small yet still powerful enough to eliminate the flatness that renders this salad boring after a few spoonfuls.

Consider opting for fish sauce bottles with a simple list of ingredients — anchovies, salt, and maybe sugar — for great flavor authenticity. Vietnamese fish sauce tends to be a safe, universal choice because it leans more on the light and sweet side. Meanwhile, Thai varieties are stronger and bolder. Go for bottles that have "30 degrees N" and above on the label. This represents the nitrogen concentration per liter in fish sauce, which directly reflects the sauce's protein levels and therefore, its complexity.

A little goes a long way with fish sauce. You will only need about half a teaspoon for two cans of tuna. If your recipe typically includes salty ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and anchovy paste, consider foregoing them to avoid overwhelming the dish with saltiness. There are still plenty of other sauces that pair well with tuna, and soy sauce (a tiny amount, of course) is a great pick for an even stronger umami boost.

You can even ditch the mayonnaise in favor of a lighter, fresher take on tuna salad now that you've got the fish sauce. A Thai-style tuna salad is worth a try. You just need to incorporate fish sauce's other frequent companions, such as lime juice, coriander, and shallots, for the cuisine's aromatic touch. The heat comes in later with ground ginger and chile paste. Similarly, a Vietnamese tuna salad, taking inspiration from the cuisine's infamous bánh mì, is also a refreshing twist. Just add cilantro, red onions, and bird's eye chili to the mix, and serve it on baguette slices to seal the deal.