Recipe by Sarah Epps
This tuna melt makes a hearty single serving with enough tuna salad left over for tomorrow. It is an open-faced, broiler-browned comfort food, a recipe for fortitude especially welcome on a cool fall day. Contains fish, dairy, and gluten.
Serves 1, with two open-faced sandwiches plus leftover tuna.
Ingredients
- 1 plum tomato, quartered lengthwise (or substitute good quality jarred tomato like La Medina; use more tomatoes if you want leftovers)
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 2 slices bread, preferably a tough crusty loaf that can support the toppings
- 1 jar tuna, drained (I like Tonnino brand in olive oil)
- ¼ red onion or 1 shallot, diced
- ½ stalk celery, diced
- 2 to 3 tbs. something pickled like cucumbers, peppers, lemons, or capers, diced
- 3 tbs. mayonnaise (adjust to your taste)
- 1 tbs. mustard (adjust to your taste)
- ½ lemon
- Optional: fresh herbs like dill or parsley, diced
- Optional: dried spice blend of your choice like everything spice, za'atar, or your favorite
- A few ounces of cheese that melts well, like mozzarella, scamorza, fontina, cheddar, or gruyere
- Flaky salt and pepper
Process
- Do ahead, or while you are dicing ingredients: drizzle tomato quarters with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400℉ for about 10 minutes or until soft and slightly caramelized at the edges.
- Drain the tuna. Place it in a small mixing bowl with the diced onion, celery, pickles, herbs, spices if you are using them, juice from the lemon, mayo, and mustard to taste. Mix with a fork and add salt and pepper to your liking. (This can also be made ahead of time and refrigerated.)
- Toast the bread. Layer tuna on top of the toast. Place roasted tomato on top of the tuna, and cheese on top of the tomato. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and browning in spots (time will vary based on your broiler).
Leftover tuna, and tomatoes if you have any, will keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
