I was writing a new summer menu for my food truck, and I really wanted to feature a tuna melt. But I wanted it to be different from your typical diner sandwich. So I decided to use albacore tuna steaks—they are more affordable and, for my needs, just as good as their ahi tuna cousin.
I decided to sear the steaks until almost just-cooked, but with a good amount of pink in the middle—I didn’t want to over cook it and end up losing flavor from great quality tuna. Tossing the fish in a super-zesty mayo-based sauce and melting some Swiss cheese on top really make this the best tuna melt ever. Oh my goodness—it’s delicious. It might just be my favorite sandwich. If you’re a fan of tuna in any form, you’ve got to try this sandwich. Trust me: you’ll love it.
The Seared Albacore Tuna Melt
Ingredients
- 20 oz tuna steaks - thawed albacore
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup red onion - finely diced
- 2 tablespoon capers - drained
- 2 tablespoon basil - choppedfresh
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- to taste salt and pepper
- 4 brioche buns
- 4 slices swiss cheese
Instructions
- Season the tuna steaks on both sides with salt and pepper
- In a medium bowl, toss together the red onion, capers, and basil, then use a fork to mix in the balsamic, Dijon, and mayo. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roughly chop the tuna steaks, then add the mayo mixture and toss to combine.
- Lightly butter the brioche buns, and toast on a griddle or under your broiler. Scoop ¼ of the tuna mixture onto each of the bottom buns, top with a piece of Swiss cheese and bake in the oven at 400 F until the cheese melts. Top with the toasted top bun and serve
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