WITH THESE TIPS YOU MAKE A TOP TUNA MELT

Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: delicious tips for a top tuna melt

Tuna melt open, tuna melt closed; we don't care, the only thing that matters is the perfect ratios and execution of this amazing sandwich. Creamy, salty mayo-tuna, soft gooey melted cheese: hmmmm. Eating neatly just doesn't work, so just give in...
What you don't want in a tuna melt are dry chunks of tuna or a wet mayo mess, sad sweaty almost melted cheese, and soggy bread. That's why here are a few points that will really make your tuna melt just a little better, or let's say: delicious.

Choose your bread and decide open or closed
Of course, it also works with regular pre-sliced, but if you really want to make something of it, you decide how thick you slice the pieces. Also, whether you are going to make it open or closed (open under the grill or closed toast-style) is important here. Open thicker because one slice, toast thinner. You need the right bread-tuna ratio to avoid it becoming soggy. Sturdy sourdough bread? A bit thinner than, for example, the thick slices you can cut from a softer bread. White, brown, (real) whole grain: all tasty.

Toast
First toast the bread on the grill or in a frying pan. Do this on both sides, because if you don't toast the inside, it will become a wet mess there. Dry toasting is fine, or lightly spread with some butter or oil. If you go for toast-style, we would toast a little shorter, because once topped, it naturally goes back on the plate or in the pan.

From which bath
Whether you should use tuna in water or oil: the funny thing is that due to the mayo treatment, it doesn't really matter that much. Also, this is not the time to open your fancy imported Ortiz tuna from the deli, that would be a shame. Do go for tuna with an MSC label; Bart van Olphen’s Fish Tales is a good and responsible brand.

Tasty, fine
One thing that all canned tuna has in common: quite cooked in any case. And therefore also quite dry, those compact pieces, even though they are in oil. So you really want to flake the tuna well first, so that everything is covered with mayo later and you don't end up with dry chunks. Do this in a mixing bowl with a fork or sturdy spatula. Assume one standard can for two sandwiches, open or closed.

Thick dollops and mix away
Yes, now you can go for it. A generous spoonful of mayo in the bowl (start with one tablespoon for one standard can). Stir well. Build it up slowly. And do you have your additions ready? A selection of options: a finely chopped onion type, capers (these two are non-negotiable as far as we are concerned), fresh herbs, pickles, black olives, red pepper, paprika powder, tomato pieces, onion or garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, chipotle powder, jalapeños from a jar... Countless possibilities. Generously spoon onto your bread (for a toast, there’s already a slice of cheese on it).

Queso
On with the cheese. Yes! We are lucky to live in such a cheese paradise, because there is truly everything to choose from. Do you like aged cheese? Go for it, especially in combination with some paprika powder for example. Cheddar? Delicious with jalapeño slices. Gruyère? Always good. As long as it melts well later. So open under a hot grill on a baking sheet or in a small dish or closed like you bake any other toast.

And then? Tuna melt heaven, in your own hands.