What's the best tuna fish sandwich?

[Natasha]

Mine is super simple. Can of tuna, drained, mixed with mayo and pickle relish. Two pieces of toasted wheat bread. Dash of hot sauce and some pepper on top. I can usually get 2.5 sandwiches out of one can of tuna.

But I've tasted better at little lunch shops. Since it's a pretty healthy and easy meal, I'd like to make it a weekly standard and something to look forward to. Help?

[teetime]

Tuna melt!

Thomas' English muffin, tuna (made with lots of fine diced celery and onion), mayo, and a touch of mustard, a slice of sharp cheddar, and on one of the two English muffin halves, a slice of tomato.  Stick in hot toaster oven for a few minutes then turn to broil until cheese is all melty.

[Magic Microbe]

My tuna mix is the same as yours but I like lettuce on top and I like it on really fresh sourdough bread.

[merigayle]

I worked at a cafe that had a killer tuna salad, according to the patrons, since i do not eat fish, and when i made it, it was pretty standard, but a little bit of horseradish mixed into

[The Turtle Whisperer]

I put lots of stuff in mine... same as yours, plus chopped red onions, chopped dill pickles, chopped hard boiled egg, some creole or spicy brown mustard, a little celery salt... normally served on one of the HEB southwest tortillas with some avocado slices. 

[ihop]

I put lots of stuff in mine... same as yours, plus chopped red onions, chopped dill pickles, chopped hard boiled egg, some creole or spicy brown mustard, a little celery salt... normally served on one of the HEB southwest tortillas with some avocado slices. 

I love it with a little egg and spicy mustard too.  But I prefer sweet to dill pickles.  And I like to add a little mild vinegar.  I love this style of tuna salad on toasted bread either with lettuce and tomato or cheese.

I also make a different version with capers, red onions, roasted red peppers, olive oil and vinegar.  I prefer this kind on crackers or crusty untoasted bread.

[The Turtle Whisperer]

I love it with a little egg and spicy mustard too.  But I prefer sweet to dill pickles.  And I like to add a little mild vinegar.  I love this style of tuna salad on toasted bread either with lettuce and tomato or cheese.

I also make a different version with capers, red onions, roasted red peppers, olive oil and vinegar.  I prefer this kind on crackers or crusty untoasted bread.

   I think I could survive on Tuna Fish!  I put capers in mine quite a bit and I also make a different type for crackers or just as a salad and it's very similar to yours... some kalamata olives, artichoke... .

I'll even own up to liking Subway's tuna.  Subway is the only chain I'll eat at and that's the only thing I'll order.... whole grain, no cheese, all the onions, all the peppers, olives, spinach, oil and vinegar, salt and pepper. 

[Natasha]

I worked at a cafe that had a killer tuna salad, according to the patrons, since i do not eat fish, and when i made it, it was pretty standard, but a little bit of horseradish mixed into

I tried using horseradish and kalamata olives with the mayo today, and it was really good.

[blue sleep]

Family variants

Standard:  tuna, lots of ground black pepper, onion, celery, mayo, sometimes relish

So-called "high-class tuna" recipe:  tuna, capers, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil (chopped), olive oil (or just the sun-dried tomato oil)

[The Turtle Whisperer]

Ya'll flung a craving on me!  Had to go make a big batch!   

[Magic Microbe]

When I am really trying I add a bit of mayo, horesradish sauce, dill relish, mustard, and fresh ground pepper.

[moroccangirl]

I chop the tuna so there aren't any big chunks. I add mayo, salt, pepper, finely chopped onion, a dash of mustard, boiled egg whites (sometimes i'll use the yolk too).

We have a chain restaraunt that has a Mediterranean Tuna sandwich that DH likes. I don't know what all they put in it, but it's not mayo based. There are olives and capers and some other things. I don't love it.

[MikoftheWat]

Guac instead of mayo.  You're welcome.

[radial]

Best tuna salad is the one where you leave out the tuna and substitute chicken.  Or use seared ahi tuna.  That stuff out of the can is cat food. 

[Cool Foot Luke]

I used to use plain yogurt in place of mayo when I was more of a health nut. Spiced it up with mustard or turmeric. Unfortunately, it then takes on a very unappetizing orange color.

It is tasty to turn it into a tuna melt.

I've used mashed avocado in place of mayo as Mik suggested, but it didn't quite work for me.

[blue sleep]

When making my "standard" recipe, I have to make two batches.  For me, I use a mix of greek yogurt and light mayo, lightly clinging to the ingredients.  DH will have none of it.  What he prefers might best be described as "tuna paste".  A mess of (light) mayo with a bit of tuna and onion mixed in.

[witchypoo]

lately?  tuna, mayo, minced onion, chopped wasabi pickles, maybe some dill, maybe some mustard, and served with tomato in a tuna melt.

[VP of Tea]

tuna + cheese is 

 

[witchypoo]

tuna + cheese is 

 

poor vp and her provincial palate.   

[caribougrrl]

for tuna salad sandwiches: tuna, plain yogurt, lemon, capers, red onion, on toasted bread with sliced cucumber

my mother's tuna salad is tuna, mayo, finely chopped celery, lots of black pepper


I sometimes make salad nicoise sandwiches: fresh baguette then layer: tuna (mixed with some lemon juice, but nothing else), blanched and chilled green beans, sliced cucumber, sliced tomato, slice hard boiled egg, anchovy filets, sliced kalamata olives, salt & pepper.

[VP of Tea]

poor vp and her provincial palate.   

Heh.

I like all cg's options, so there!

[witchypoo]

i might ask, how do you folks tolerate the light mayo?  i find it incredibly sweet, with a funny texture.

[teetime]

i might ask, how do you folks tolerate the light mayo?  i find it incredibly sweet, with a funny texture.

Have you tried Hellman's Light mayonnaise?  The fat free and even the low fat literally make me gag (ick ... even thinking of them makes my stomach turn) but we use the light all the time and I actually like it.  Not the lovely richness of real mayo but great in sauces that will have lots of herbs and garlic and yogurt anyway and for me even fine for a tuna or egg salad.

[witchypoo]

my mother commonly has a jar of the cains fat free, or the hellmann's low fat dressing.  my childhood memories of sandwiches containing mayo are terrifying. 

[caribougrrl]

i might ask, how do you folks tolerate the light mayo?  i find it incredibly sweet, with a funny texture.

I don't tolerate mayo at all, unless I made it myself with sunflower or olive oil (which oil depends on the eventual purpose of the mayo).  I'm not going to make mayo in order to have a tuna sandwich, so I use plain yogurt.   If I have mayo around from some other culinary event, I would use leftovers for tuna.

I make a fantastic cumin mayo with olive oil for an orzo salad that does nicely for salmon sandwiches, but not for tuna.

[blue sleep]

Have you tried Hellman's Light mayonnaise?  The fat free and even the low fat literally make me gag (ick ... even thinking of them makes my stomach turn) but we use the light all the time and I actually like it.  Not the lovely richness of real mayo but great in sauces that will have lots of herbs and garlic and yogurt anyway and for me even fine for a tuna or egg salad.

Yep... we use Hellman's.  Not too bad.

[Run Amok]

I don't tolerate mayo at all, unless I made it myself with sunflower or olive oil (which oil depends on the eventual purpose of the mayo).  I'm not going to make mayo in order to have a tuna sandwich, so I use plain yogurt.   If I have mayo around from some other culinary event, I would use leftovers for tuna.

I make a fantastic cumin mayo with olive oil for an orzo salad that does nicely for salmon sandwiches, but not for tuna.

Funny how that is, isn't it? I can't do commercial mayo either. YUCK! But I love my own home made stuff. The commercial stuff has a weird fluffy consistency and sweetish taste that is off putting to me. My mom hates mayo so I just didn't eat it growing up.

[caribougrrl]

Funny how that is, isn't it? I can't do commercial mayo either. YUCK! But I love my own home made stuff. The commercial stuff has a weird fluffy consistency and sweetish taste that is off putting to me. My mom hates mayo so I just didn't eat it growing up.

mom always made her own mayonnaise, but I didn't like it (eventually I figured out it's because I don't like canola oil)... I was always jealous of other people having jars of Miracle Whip in their homes... until I tried it, anyway. 

[Dagstag v 2.0]

I don't tolerate mayo at all, unless I made it myself with sunflower or olive oil (which oil depends on the eventual purpose of the mayo).  I'm not going to make mayo in order to have a tuna sandwich, so I use plain yogurt.   If I have mayo around from some other culinary event, I would use leftovers for tuna.

I make a fantastic cumin mayo with olive oil for an orzo salad that does nicely for salmon sandwiches, but not for tuna.

Got any recipes, or directions?

Also, how does the olive oil mayo turn out?  I have looked this up out of interest, and found a lot of people saying that olive oil makes a bitter mayo.  Is that not so?

[Magic Microbe]

i might ask, how do you folks tolerate the light mayo?  i find it incredibly sweet, with a funny texture.

The nonfat mayo and some of the lights have sugar in them. Best Foods (or Hellmans for you people) light mayo doesn't.


I was inspired to have a tuna sandwich for lunch today! Tuna, mayo, horesradish sauce, dill relish, green onion, and a little mustard powder and garlic powder topped with lettuce. It was yummy!

[caribougrrl]

Got any recipes, or directions?

Also, how does the olive oil mayo turn out?  I have looked this up out of interest, and found a lot of people saying that olive oil makes a bitter mayo.  Is that not so?

I toast about a Tbsp of cumin seeds in a cast iron pan, coarsely grind, then set aside.  Beat the yolk of one egg, very slowly, as in a drop or two at a time, drizzle in good olive oil (xvirgin, of course, cold-pressed...  I tend toward ones that have a green tinge, but apparently it's an old wive's tale that these are better oils... nonetheless, I still look for a green tinge), whisking constantly and quickly all the time to emulsify... you should get about 3/4 c of olive oil incorporated before the egg can't really hold any more of it... I find with sunflower oil it will take closer to a full cup.  Your arm will be sore.  If you are better equipped in the kitchen than I am, a stand mixer would probably work, maybe even a food processor.  I like the process though, it feels more of an accomplishment doing it by hand.   Anyway, once it's mayo, I stir in the toasted cumin.  Voila, toasted cumin mayo.

Mayo is, however, really that easy.  Yolk of one egg + up to about a cup of oil.  The hard part is the whisking and having the patience to add oil drops at a time.

Regarding the bitterness with olive oil: the quality of the oil affects the taste... it might well be somewhat bitter regardless, but I don't mind a bit of bitter, but I don't notice it being particularly bitter.

[caribougrrl]

Dagstag, this article doesn't say anything about bitterness from olive oil: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/dining/easy-homemade-mayonnaise.html?pagewanted=all&_moc.semityn.www

but includes some tips for getting the emulsion to hold (sometimes you get seperation inexplicably); it did remind me that when I make the toasted cumin mayo, I squeeze a bit of lemon juice into the egg yolk at the start

and thanks to that article, I'm going to make some anchovy mayo soon

[Dagstag v 2.0]

Oh Yum. I'll have to get on this. I will make anchovy mayo and eat it by the spoonful.

[triciaflower]

I like to put boiled eggs in my tuna. The smell can be strong, but it tastes goooood!

[diablita]

Duke's light mayo is very good.  I don't like the other Lights, though.

[The Turtle Whisperer]

Duke's light mayo is very good.  I don't like the other Lights, though.

We just started getting that here, I might try it. 

I've been using the hellmans full fat with olive oil.  Tuna is really the only thing I use mayo for and i don't use much so I don't fret over it too much.  Is Dukes light legit or is it some kind of frankenfood? 

[diablita]

um...Frankenfood.  Damn I wish I hadn't just googled that.

[monster2]

Dill weed, dill relish, tons of onion, celery, salt, pepper and light mayo.  Once I ran out of mayo... I used ranch dressing instead and actually it was pretty good.