LUCY BURDETTE: Now that it’s officially summertime, I feel I can indulge in one of my favorite lunchtime treats, the good old-fashioned tuna melt. There are a couple of places near my hometown in Connecticut that do these superbly. The secret might lie in good rye bread, just enough tuna salad, but not too much, and a good dose of melty cheese. I saw a recipe recently that called for adding salt and vinegar potato chips to the mix. This sounded like something I had to try. And here is my stab at the iconic dish…
Ingredients for two sandwiches
Four slices of good quality rye bread.
Eight slices of white American cheese or cheddar.
One can tuna in water. (could be oil if that’s your preference)
Two stalks celery, chopped
Half a cup sweet pickles, chopped.
One heaping tablespoon mayonnaise
Teaspoon Dijon mustard
Handful of salt and vinegar potato chips.
Squeeze the oil or water out of the tuna and flake that up in a bowl. Chop the celery and pickles and add these as well. Add the mayonnaise and the mustard and mix it all together.
Melt a tablespoon or so of butter in a frying pan. Place a slice of bread in the melted butter, and on top of that layer two slices of cheese, a scoop of the tuna salad, enough potato chips to cover, and a second two slices of cheese. Cover this with bread, and fry on medium heat until the bottom is brown, and the cheese is melted. Flip the sandwich and continue to cook until the second side is brown and oozing bubbly cheese.
Remove the sandwich to a plate. Cut in half and enjoy!
Note from me: I’m not sure the potato chips in the sandwich were necessary as they were missing the appealing crunch. Next time I would serve them on the side. If you wish to add chopped raw onion to the dish, have at it!
Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series including USA Today bestselling A POISONOUS PALATE and A CLUE IN THE CRUMBS.
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