Provencal Tuna Melt

boulangere's Notes: Purists may cringe at the use of "Provençal" and "Melt" in the same phrase, but if the shoe, so to speak, fits . . . I've grouped some of the flavors that remind me most of Provence, put them between some good, grilled bread, and added a soft, melt-y cheese. And any day I can stand on a soapbox and proclaim the glories of tuna packed in olive oil is a good one.

Yield:
2 Sandwiches
Category:
Lunch and Sandwiches
Cuisine:
French

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 of a red bell pepper, 1/4" dice Green parts of 2 scallions, 1/4" dice
  • 2 teaspoons capers, drained, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
  • 2 tablespoons mayonaise
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 4 slices good bread; I used my own ciabatta
  • Olive oil
  • Slices of soft cheese; use as much as you like. I used a tender, fresh Asiago Pressato

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Do not drain the oil off the tuna too aggressively. Leave about half of it in the can; it will contribute a lovely silkiness to the filling. Scrape the tuna and oil into a mixing bowl.
    Slice the bell pepper into strips, then lay a few at a time on their sides to chop. Add the peppers to the bowl.
    Slice the scallions and add them to the bowl. Roughly chop the capers (you're just trying to break them up a bit) and add them to the bowl. Mince the thyme (the stems on my plant in the kitchen window are so tender that I don't even need to pull the leaves off) and add it. Eyeball the mayo, but don't use a heavy hand. You want just enough to bind the mixture. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the red pepper flakes. Gently stir everything together.
    Turn on the broiler. Set a rack a notch below the one right under the broiler; that will let the filling warm and cheese melt without either burning. I prefer broiling the outsides of the bread, then adding the filling and cheese,

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