Crispy sourdough, melted mozzarella, and a punchy tuna mix with capers, lemon and Tabasco. Finished with pickled onion and a golden press, it's a serious step up from your average toasted sandwich.
Category
Lunch
Servings
1
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
15 minutes
A proper tuna melt hits the spot! Crispy, cheesy, and packed with punchy flavour. This one’s loaded with capers, celery, lemon and a kick of Tabasco, all folded through flaky tuna. Pressed in golden sourdough with plenty of mozzarella and a sharp hit of pickled onion, it’s the kind of sandwich that makes toasties look weak. Serve it hot, serve it crunchy, and don’t skip the pickles on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 2 tsp baby capers, drained, chopped
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- few dashes tabasco sauce
- sea salt and pepper, to season
- zest and juice of ½ lemon
- 200g canned tuna, drained
- 2 thick slices sourdough bread
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- pickled red onion
- 30g butter
- baby cornichons or dill pickles, to serve
Directions
Combine celery, capers, mustard, mayonnaise, tabasco, lemon juice and zest in a medium bowl. Stir well then fold in tuna. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the tuna mix on 1 slice of the bread, then top with cheese and red onion. Sandwich together with another slice.
- Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add half the butter to melt. Transfer sandwich to pan and press down top with a protein press. Cook for 10 mins, until deep golden brown on the first side.
- Add remaining butter to the pan and turn the sandwich over, press down again with a protein press or heavy cast iron pan.
- Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the cheese has melted.
- Slice the sandwich in half and serve with cornichons or pickles.
Recipe notes
Cook support
Make sure you butter both side the get the best, crispy result. And don't rush your cook, having a medium heat and pressure allows you to get a golden crunch without burning it.
Bread substitution
Sourdough holds up well when pressed and toasted, but ciabatta, rye, or a sturdy white loaf would work too, just avoid anything too soft.
Cheese substitution
You can use cheddar, Swiss or gruyere if you can't get mozzarella.
Fish substitution
So I actually use bonito a lot of the time and you could also go smoked mackerel or a poached white fish like snapper or cod.
Protein press
Adding pressure to the toasty helps it to get a nice crispy outside. But if you don't have one, you can use a heavy cast iron pan or something flat to press down on. Just make sure it's heat safe.
