CHUCKMAN ORIGINAL RECIPE: TUNA MELTS
These are serious food, not just “pub grub,” hot open-face sandwiches
as complete meals. They are beautiful to the eye and very satisfying.
THE BASIC SALAD
In assembling the salad, keep in mind for proportions that the ideal is for each tuna melt to have the full range of flavors and textures and colors in it. A bit demanding, but worth the effort.
Solid Light canned tuna – broken up finely with a fork or potato masher. Two or three cans, or whatever amount tastes right to you.
Avocado – de-pitted, skinned, and diced into small chunks.
Celery – moderately thick slices, cut across the stalk – a generous amount.
Small pimento-stuffed green olives – sliced or cut into quarters – a generous amount.
Mayonnaise – no substitutes. You must use the real stuff – a generous amount – vary according to how “wet” you like your salad. Remember that baking will dry it out a bit, too.
Ripe cherry or grape tomatoes (grape tomatoes are sweeter but not always available) – cut into quarters or halves depending on their size - a generous amount.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix ingredients in a bowl thoroughly, being careful not to smash things together because we want the individual items to remain individual. Set aside and allow to warm to room temperature.
Note: this basic salad, minus the avocado chunks, is also excellent as a filling for avocado halves served cold or at room temperature.
Cheddar cheese – grated roughly – the real thing – no substitutes – a generous amount.
Pitas – either Greek or Middle eastern – or bagels – either New York style or Montreal. If you use Montreal-style bagels, it is a bit difficult to mound up the sandwiches because of the bread’s large hole. It can be done, but it is a bit of extra fuss. If using pitas, cut them into quarters ahead. Bagels are just cut in half.
If using bagels, ones with seeds or other coatings add still more eye-appeal and taste to the sandwiches.
OPTION
Salsa – whatever temperature you like – La Costena from Mexico is the best bottled one
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and begin building your sandwiches. Arrange the bread bases.
Pile a generous helping of the salad onto each piece. The sandwiches should be fairly tall to feature the variety of ingredients, not flat like pizzas.
If you are using the salsa option, now is the time to dab some on the top of each pile of salad. While I very much like this, I do not suggest making them all this way. Some people do not like it.
Next is the cheese. Sometimes, you have to play a bit to make sure each sandwich gets a goodly amount of cheese. You are trying to pile loose shavings on a little hill. A bit of patting and shaping help. Extra on top is good, as it will run down.
The cookie sheets are placed in a preheated 350-degree oven until all the cool ingredients are heated and the cheese nicely melts. This should be about ten to fifteen minutes.
