The Ultimate Tuna Melt

The Ultimate Tuna Melt

By ZAYNAB ISSA
Total time 15 minutes
Serves 2
A good, warm, toasty, cheesy tuna melt ranks high on my list of favorite sandwiches. There’s just something so idyllic and comforting about a creamy tuna mixture stuffed between two slices of crisp fried bread.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

1 3.2-oz. Fishwife Albacore Tuna in Spicy Olive Oil, drained

1⁄2 small red onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 celery stalk, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
11⁄2 tsp. drained capers or chopped pickled jalapeños, plus 11⁄2 tsp. brine
11⁄2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
4 slices Pullman or sourdough bread
2 slices American cheese or sharp cheddar
Dill pickles, kettle-style potato chips, and hot sauce (for serving)

Preparation

STEP 1

Mix onion, celery, mayonnaise, dill, capers, and lemon juice in a medium bowl to combine. Add tuna and mix with a fork, breaking up into smaller pieces. Season with pepper. Taste for salt and add up to 11⁄2 tsp. brine as needed.

STEP 2

Spread butter over one side of each slice of bread, dividing evenly. Turn slices buttered side down. Divide cheese among 2 slices of bread. Divide tuna mixture evenly over cheese. Close up sandwiches with remaining 2 bread slices, buttered side up.

STEP 3

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Working in 2 batches, place sandwiches, cheese side down, in skillet and cook, turning halfway through and pressing down with a metal spatula to ensure good contact with pan, until bread is golden brown and crisp and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes per side (if using cheddar, cover pan after turning
sandwiches to help the cheese melt).

STEP 4

Transfer sandwiches to a cutting board and slice in half. Serve with pickles and potato chips doused with hot sauce.

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