North African Tuna and Rice Salad

The cuisine of North Africa is noted for its use of condiments like harissa and preserved lemon. Tuna, a fish rarely used in other parts of the Arab world, also tends to feature heavily in North African salads, sandwiches, and pastries. The examples are endless: Harcha is a semolina pancake that sometimes includes tuna; chermoula is a widely used condiment that in certain regions relies on preserved lemon; tagines from chicken to fish often include preserved lemon and harissa; mhamasah, a giant couscous similar to fregola sarda, is used as a base for a tuna salad; in Tunisia, these ingredients come together in a delicious sandwich with avocado and eggs. 

The creativity these dishes can inspire is vast and I draw on many of those flavors for this rice salad, designed to be made with fresh or leftover rice. Preserved lemon is the real star of this show, providing a depth of citrus that is pungent yet bright, and marries the robust flavor of tuna with the softer notes of plain rice. (Please note that regular lemon would not be a good substitute in this particular dish).

Perfect as full meal on its own or as part of a more elaborate spread, this salad is best enjoyed at room temperature. If you're using leftover rice from the fridge, allow it sit out for a bit before preparing the salad. Oftentimes, when rice sits in the fridge, it sticks together in a single mass. Some ways around it include adding more oil to the water when cooking and allowing the rice to cool completely on a large baking sheet before transferring to a container and into the fridge. Finally, even if it is clumping together, using two forks that you gently pull in opposite directions, you can easily fluff the rice apart.

The jarred style of tuna tends to be better quality than the canned, with bigger pieces and better texture. However, if you can’t find jarred tuna, canned tuna will still work. The flavors in the salad are quite strong, so if the jar/can of tuna you use is one or two ounces off, it will still work out fine.

As for the vegetables, they were chosen for their crunch as a nice contrast to the fluffy rice and tender tuna, but you can substitute with whatever you have on hand. After all, this is a dish meant to repurpose leftovers, not send you scavenging for something you don’t have.