Recipe: Tuna Melts with Olive Oil Mayonnaise & Parmesan
Tuna salad, chicken salad, and egg salad are staples in my house, and they are almost always made better with melted cheese. (The first time I tasted an “egg salad melt” — just recently — was a revelation!) I usually throw any one of these together for lunch as an afterthought, until it dawned on me that they could use some special attention. The classic tuna melt was first in line for a makeover, with homemade olive oil mayonnaise and salty Parmesan taking it from good to great!
I love to make homemade mayonnaise if I need to up the “awesome” factor of a recipe like this. I have experimented with my recipe a lot over the years and at this point I pretty much have it down to a science. Most recipes tell you to use a blender or food processor, but the ingredients never seem to emulsify (they always hide under the blades.) I find that using a hand mixer is the best way to get the job done.
I also transfer whatever oil I’m using to a squeeze bottle for quick and painless dripping; it’s much easier than trying to blend and pour from a measuring cup at the same time. I usually make mayonnaise with all canola oil, but for this batch I added a fruity, mellow olive oil to pair with the tuna.
As for the tuna salad, the mayonnaise really does most of the work here, but hard-boiled eggs, capers, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon all help to brighten up the final dish. I piled the tuna salad on slices of toasted French baguette, and finished it off under the broiler with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan (an addition that was a million miles ahead of its American cheese counterpart). I’d say the old deli counter classic just got a run for its money!
Tuna Melts with Olive Oil Mayonnaise & Parmesan
Serves 2
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the olive oil mayonnaise:
- 1
egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon
lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon
Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon
apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup
plus 2 tablespoons canola oil
For the tuna melts:
- 2
(5-ounce) cans good-quality tuna, preferably wild-caught, such as Wild Planet
- 3 tablespoons
olive oil mayonnaise
- 1
hard-boiled egg, chopped
- 1 tablespoon
capers, chopped
- 1 tablespoon
finely chopped Italian parsley
Lemon juice, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 slices
baguette, toasted
Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
For the mayonnaise, whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a medium-sized bowl.
Using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix the egg yolk mixture while slowly adding 1/4 cup of the olive oil, drop by drop, until the mixture becomes light and thick (this can take a couple of minutes). After adding the initial 1/4 cup of olive oil, the mayonnaise should be stable and emulsified; add the remaining olive oil and canola oil in a slow, steady stream until it is thick and fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (This will make more mayonnaise than you need; the remainder can be kept refrigerated for 1 week.)
For the tuna melts, heat the broiler. Drain the tuna and thoroughly pat dry. Combine tuna, 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, egg, capers, and parsley. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Divide tuna salad among the four bread slices. Top with shredded Parmesan and run under the broiler for 1 to 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and golden-brown.
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes more mayonnaise than the tuna melt recipe calls for. Any extra can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week. Use for making just about anything taste better!