Tuna Melt

Name: Tuna Melt
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
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

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Tuna Melt

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.

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.