Ingredients

• MAKES 2 SANDWICHES
• 1 tin of tuna
• 1 tomato
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 celery stalks
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• A few drops of Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon of Dijon grain mustard
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• Fresh herbs: parsley, coriander…
• 4 slices of wholemeal bread
• 4 slices of Serra da Estrela DOP cheese
• 30 g of butter at room temperature
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• For the cabbage salad
• 1/2 small red cabbage
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 red onion
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil, salt, and black pepper to taste
• Prepare the cabbage salad: thinly slice the cabbage
• and onion, grate the carrot, and transfer everything
• to a bowl. Season with lemon juice, mayonnaise,
• vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix together
• and set aside for half an hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the sandwiches. Clean the celery,
• chop finely, and place in a food processor. Add the
• lemon juice, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, mustard,
• olive oil, herbs, salt, and black pepper, and process
• until you get a fairly homogeneous mixture. Drain
• the tuna and crush on a plate using a fork. Add the
• mayonnaise and celery mixture and stir together.
• Spread the slices of bread with butter and toast them
• briefly on both sides a hot plate. Top with the tuna
• mayo, slices of tomato, and slices of cheese. Cover
• with the remaining slices of bread. Warm the
• sandwiches in an oven pre-heated to 200°C / 400°F
• / Gas Mark 6 for a few minutes (until the cheese
• melts) and serve your tuna melt cut in half with
• the red cabbage salad on the side and garnish
• with celery leaves.

Preparation

1. 1

   Prepare the cabbage salad: thinly slice the cabbage and onion, grate the carrot, and transfer everything to a bowl. Season with lemon juice, mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

2. 2

   Mix together and set aside for half an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the sandwiches. Clean the celery, chop finely, and place in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, mustard, olive oil, herbs, salt, and black pepper, and process until you get a fairly homogeneous mixture.

3. 3

   Drain the tuna and crush on a plate using a fork. Add the mayonnaise and celery mixture and stir together. Spread the slices of bread with butter and toast them briefly on both sides a hot plate.

4. 4

   Top with the tuna mayo, slices of tomato, and slices of cheese. Cover with the remaining slices of bread. Warm the sandwiches in an oven pre-heated to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6 for a few minutes (until the cheese melts) and serve your tuna melt cut in half with the red cabbage salad on the side and garnish with celery leaves.

5. 5

   Tuna Melt: American Toasted Tuna Sandwich