Keepin it simple with this end of summer viet style tuna sub. As canned tuna is the star of this recipe, it will be in your best interest to use a good quality brand. To avoid that super strong, super dank canned tuna taste, use tuna packed in water rather than oil - it’s got a much milder flavour. Even my sister (who is not a fan of canned tuna) ate 3 pieces of this. That’s saying something.
Makes 3 large or 6 small sandwiches
Ingredients
2 cans good quality tuna packed in water, drained very well
2 Serrano/Jalapeño peppers, divided
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup + 2 tbs mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup green onion
1 baguette
2 tbs olive oil, divided
1 tbs honey
1 cup of cucumber, sliced
A pinch of salt and pepper
Directions
1. To a food processor, add the tuna, 1 Serrano/Jalapeño pepper, 1/4 cup of mayonnaise, half of the cilantro, green onion, 1 tbs olive oil, the sesame oil, and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Process until you have a smooth paste that resembles pâté. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
2. Cut your baguette into 3-6 even pieces, then slice each piece lengthwise. In a small bowl, mix the remaining olive oil and honey together. Using a pastry brush, brush the cut side of each piece of bread with the honey and oil mixture. Preheat a grill pan over medium low heat. Once hot, lay the bread, cut side down, onto the pan. Push the bread into the pan a bit with your fingers to enhance the grill marks. Grill for 2-3 minutes until you get nice dark golden grill marks, then flip and grill another 2 minutes. Depending on the size of your grill pan, you may have to do this in two rounds. Remove from pan and assemble sandwiches.
3. Slice the remaining Serrano/Jalapeño pepper into very thin rounds (you may not need to use the entire pepper). Slather one side of each sandwich with the remaining mayonnaise. Spread the tuna mixture evenly between all slices of bread. Tuna will go on both sides of the sandwich. Top each sandwich with the remaining fresh cilantro, cucumber slices, and as much or as little fresh Serrano/Jalapeño as you like. Close each sandwich and serve immediately.