When my husband and I got REALLY comfortable with each other, he confessed that one of his regular sandwiches growing up was tuna fish. TUNA FISH??? EWWW! You actually ate tuna fish?? And you actually like it? WHAT???
Then one day I went to visit him at work and he had just gotten a freshly warm tuna melt delivered and he asked me to take a bite. I gulped hard. Closed my eyes. Took a bite. AND? I loved it!!! And now that we have kids (even though 2 of them have seafood allergies!) we do get the hankering for a good ol' tuna melt now and then.
I'm going to try this Barefoot Contessa version the next time that craving comes our way!!
Ultimate Tuna Melt
2 (6 to 8-ounce) jars imported tuna packed in olive oil, drained
½ cup (¼-inch) diced hearts of celery
½ cup minced scallions, white and light green parts (3 scallions)
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup good mayonnaise, such as Hellmann’s
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
4 large slices bread, such as Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Hearty White
4 ounces Swiss cheese, such as Emmentaler, grated
1 ounce microgreens
In a medium bowl, flake the tuna finely with a fork. Add the celery, scallions, and dill, and continue mixing and fluffing with the fork until combined. Add the lemon juice, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ¾ teaspoon pepper. Combine the mayonnaise and anchovy paste, if using, and mix into the tuna.
Preheat the broiler. Toast the bread in a toaster and place the slices in a single layer on a sheet pan. Spread a quarter of the tuna mixture thickly and evenly on each piece of bread, covering the entire slice. Sprinkle the cheese evenly on the 4 sandwiches, covering the tuna completely. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the cheese melts and starts to brown. (Watch it carefully!) Sprinkle with the microgreens and serve hot.
