Gene Tierney’s Tuna Salad Royal
Recently while on the search for some new, more lunch-savvy and simple recipes, I came across this delightful one that was one of actress Gene Tierney’s favorites! An added plus is that it included tuna as the main protein! (I LOVE tuna.) It is most certainly a recipe of it’s time as this advertisement from 1950 featuring Gene showcases. A lot of people are “icked” out by vintage food presentation, and while I will admit sometimes they do look…unique, I am mostly just intrigued. 😂
Gene Tierney’s Tuna Salad Royal
Tuna Salad
- 1 can of Star-Kist Tuna or tuna of your choice. I personally use a different brand.
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Kraft Mayonnaise or mayonnaise of your choice.
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 (6 ounce) package Mozzarella cheese
To Serve
- Lettuce
- Peeled tomatoes
- Mayonnaise, for garnish
- Watercress, for garnish
Instructions
- In a salad bowl, combine the tuna, sweet pickle, and chopped celery.
- Add the lemon juice to the mayonnaise and stir together.
- Toss the mayonnaise mixture with the tuna mixture until combined. Season to taste.
- For each portion, place lettuce on a salad plate.
- Peel a tomato and cut it into three crosswise slices.
- Starting with one slice of tomato placed on the lettuce, alternate the tuna salad with the remaining tomato slices, creating a layered presentation.
- Garnish with mayonnaise and watercress as shown.
- Serve chilled and enjoy this wonderfully nostalgic little taste of Hollywood!
A Little Bit About Gene Tierney
Gene Tierney (1920–1991) was one of Hollywood’s great beauties, known for her elegant presence, luminous screen performances, and that unmistakable old-Hollywood glamour. She had the kind of beauty that seemed almost made for the silver screen; refined, sophisticated, and completely captivating.
Best known for films such as “Laura”, “Leave Her to Heaven”, and “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”, Gene became one of the most memorable actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. I have to say, I’ve never watched a film with Gene in it that I wasn’t completely captivated by.
Behind her glamorous image, Gene endured profound personal struggles, including serious mental health difficulties. She was candid later in life about her experiences with depression and psychiatric treatment, helping bring attention to mental illness at a time when it was rarely discussed openly.
I know I tend to overdo the “find the meaning in everything” thing, but I can’t help seeing something poignant in this recipe and also in relation to Gene, too. The fact that something as simple as tuna salad can be assembled into something so delicate and fragile feels, in its own strange way, like a reflection of human life itself. A few neat slices of tomato can conceal a carefully assembled salad, just as a beautiful face or glamorous life can conceal an enormous amount of pain. Human beings are fragile, and none of us are quite as put together as we may appear…
Okay, enough over-reading into things! I hope you try and enjoy this lovely recipe!