How to Make the Best Tuna Sandwich
The tuna sandwich will never go out of style because it has never been stylish. It’s modest, even at home, but at the same time very comforting and nostalgic. The tuna salad itself has three main ingredients – canned tuna, mayonnaise, and some ingredient that should add contrast – and the success of your sandwich depends on how much care and attention you give each one.
Get this bread
In my opinion, the only acceptable bread for a tuna sandwich is super soft and completely white. And while any simple soft sandwich bread will work, the platonic ideal of soft white bread is Japanese milk bread, which is pleasantly sweet and almost clothed in texture. If you don’t live next to an Asian bakery, don’t worry; Doing it yourself is quite simple. (There are many recipes, but I like this one , which contains heavy cream and condensed milk.)
Make a mayonnaise solution
There are three main ways to use mayonnaise: sweet, salty, or classic. If you want your tuna salad was bright and light with lots of herbs and acids, mayonnaise without a lot of sugar (for example, Duke’s – or the Duke of our Duke ) – this is what you need. If you want your sandwich to be a sweet and savory umami bomb, consider Japanese or Korean mayonnaise, which might just be creamy. If you want the classic cafeteria dining atmosphere, bring the best food (or Hellman’s, depending on where you live). Also consider adding some mustard, as I’ve found that just a tiny bit, like a quarter teaspoon, can add a piquant acidity and depth and volume to the salad. (Yellow is fine, but hot Chinese mustard is exciting .)
Add umami
Even if you’re aiming for a bright and crisp fish salad, a little extra umami can enhance the flavor of your tuna, ensuring that it doesn’t get lost in the mass of mayonnaise and seasoning. A small drop of MSG can do this without adding any other flavorings, but I’m also a big fan of mashing with one anchovy or a few drops of fish sauce, which will make even the simplest and cheapest can of tuna a little tasty. more like a fish. A few points of tomato paste can be fun too, especially if you plan on adding fresh vegetables and herbs later.
Consider additional services
The most common addition to tuna is condiments, dill or sweet, followed by celery, which is bad and should not be added. If crunching is your thing, be an adult and throw in potato chips, or be a slacker and throw in Doritos. Any of them will bring you incomparably more joy than watery astringent celery. You can also add onions or shallots, although I would treat them with a little salt first.
Anyway. Condiments are fine, especially if you’re going to try a classic canteen sandwich, but I’m a big fan of slicing up really good pickles – gherkins or grillos , my new favorite pickles – and blending them instead. But in fact, you can add any pickled vegetables to tuna salad, so take a fresh look at your seasoning collection. Pickled ginger, especially when combined with Cupee mayonnaise, can be especially divine; I like to use the chopped ginger and the pickle it comes in.
If you want something bright and fresh, pour in some lemon juice and add capers and tons of fresh herbs. If you want to be very fresh, you can even ditch the mayonnaise and use really good olive oil instead, but I would only recommend this if you are using one of those fancy cans of tuna flavors that deserve to be. emphasize, not hide. … As for the herbs: parsley, tarragon, dill, tarragon and thyme are all good.
A lot of greens or other vegetables could be added, but I don’t like to be too distracted from the salad. The ultra-crispy romaine leaf does have its own textural charm, but there is nothing wrong with adopting a simple and unpretentious combination of tuna salad and bread. In fact, I encourage this. (I also recommend that you tell me about your favorite and undoubtedly brilliant tuna sandwich tricks in the comments below.)