Tuna melt
This classic tuna melt can be made in a frying pan! If you like a little more texture to your toastie, it also works well with a tablespoon of finely diced celery folded through the filling.
Ingredients
- 80g tinned tuna, drained
- 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
- 1 heaped tsp diced red onion or shallot
- 50g/1¾oz extra mature or mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- tiny squeeze lemon juice
- 2 thick slices white or wholemeal bread
- 1 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Tip the tuna into a bowl with the spring onion, red onion and cheddar. Use a fork to flake apart the tuna and mix everything together. Add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lots of pepper and a little pinch of salt and fold together.
Sandwich the filling between the two slices of bread, then butter the outsides of the sandwich.
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the sandwich and immediately sit a clean, small, flat-bottomed saucepan on top with a tin inside to squash the toastie down. Fry for 4–5 minutes, or until the bottom is crisp and golden and the filling is starting to ooze – if it browns quicker than this the filling won’t be melted enough.
Flip and repeat to cook the other side. If it’s perfectly toasted but the filling is not quite melted enough, pop in the microwave for a minute. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
Two for lunch? Double everything but the tuna – just use a 145g tin instead.