Serves 6
Chris Jones, who is one of the keenest inventors I know, created this dish for a competition to see who could make the “greenest” seafood dish on our TV show, Future Food. Chris decided to eschew seafood entirely while creating this whimsical dish. He braised a local chicken in seaweed, salt water, and garlic and shredded it to resemble canned tuna. Served in a real tuna can with freshly baked saltine crackers and a homemade aioli, this dish is a more sustainable and more delicious alternative to canned tuna salad.
150 grams all-purpose flour
5 grams baking powder
45 grams vegetable shortening
90 grams whole milk
2 grams salt
1000 grams water
20 grams kombu
5 sheets nori
2 shallots, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
8 grams salt
4 chicken thighs
20 grams (about 1 large) egg yolk
10 grams fresh lemon juice
200 grams canola oil
1 gram salt
6 clean Chicken of the Sea brand tuna cans, with their lids
1-inch diameter poly tubing and heat sealer (see Sources, here)
Combine the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Add the vegetable shortening and press it into the dry ingredients with your fingers to make small beads of flour. Add the milk and then knead everything together to make a dough ball. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and reserve. Flour a large work surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out into a rough rectangle approximately ¼ inch thick. Dock the dough with a docker or use the tines of a fork to poke holes in the top of the cracker dough. Use a pastry brush to brush the dough with a little water and then sprinkle the salt evenly over the top. Use a pizza wheel to cut the dough into 2-inch squares. Lay the crackers out on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Put the water in a large saucepot set over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the kombu, remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 minutes.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and return to the saucepot. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the nori, shallots, garlic, and salt. Stir to dissolve the salt. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the chicken thighs. Cover and braise for 1 hour, then transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool.
Pick the thigh meat in big chunks to resemble canned tuna. Divide the meat among the 6 tuna cans and replace the covers.
Put the egg yolk and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Use an immersion blender with the whisk attachment to whisk them together and then slowly drizzle in the oil, still whisking constantly. Whisk until all the oil is absorbed and you have a smooth, creamy aioli. Whisk in the salt and then transfer the aioli to a piping bag fitted with a plain tip. Use a heat sealer to seal a 3-inch length of poly tubing—or, very carefully, use the burner of your stove to heat the end of the tubing, allowing you to press the end together to seal. Use the piping bag to fill the poly tubing with 20 grams of aioli, and seal the other end to create a “mayonnaise packet.” Repeat to make 5 more packets.
Place 4 Saltine Crackers on each plate. Put 1 can of “tuna” on each plate next to the crackers. Place a packet of Aioli next to the canned “tuna” and serve immediately. Alternatively, you can pipe the Aioli into individual ramekins or salad dressing cups and serve alongside the canned “tuna.” Instruct your guests to mix the Aioli with the “tuna” before eating.