I like things with a little kick, so this grilled tuna salad sandwich recipe is a no brainer for me. A word of warning: you must like lemon! This recipe requires a ton of lemon juice and it’s really rather strong, so prep your tongue!
The good news, however, is the lemon counteracts the super hot punch of the habanero chile. It makes for the perfect combination of sour, sweet and spicy.
The recipe calls for fresh tuna steaks, but you can use canned tuna as well. Just make sure it is Albacore and well drained. You can make several sandwiches, so be prepared to eat tuna for a few days.
3 cups fresh lemon juice
1/2 to 1 whole habanero chile, chopped (only use the whole if you like it hot)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup best-quality mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 small red onion, finely diced
1 large stalk celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 (8-ounce) tuna steaks
Olive oil
8 slices hearty bread (Italian, French, ciabatta, or country white)
WatercressHeat grill to high. Place lemon juice in a small saucepan and bring to boil on the grates of the grill. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup. Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. Leave grill on high heat.
Place lemon syrup, habanero, lemon zest, and mayonnaise in a blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and transfer to a large bowl. Add the onions, celery, and parsley and set aside.
Brush tuna with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 3 minutes per side or until slightly charred and cooked to medium doneness. Remove from the grill and let rest 5 minutes before cutting into small dice or flaking with a fork. Add the flaked tuna to the mayonnaise mixture and gently mix until combined. Divide the tuna salad among 4 slices of bread. Top the salad with a few sprigs of watercress and top with the remaining bread.
[via Food Network]
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