Open Top Sambo Stop

Tuna Melt is one of my favourite sambos -I first discovered it in Keogh's Café on Trinity Street in Dublin about 15years ago. Here they used a fresh brown bap, tuna steak, iceberg lettuce, onion, tomato, mayonnaise and melted red cheddar. I became a tuna melt addict immediately!

I love tuna fish, I always have but that's down to my Mom adding a little pizzazz to a fairly bland tin of John West (Steak in Sunflower oil or Water, never Chunks -what are Chunks anyway? and avoid yucky Brine at all costs!) 

Take 2 tablespoons of Helman's Mayonnaise, then the juice of half a lemon, 7 drops of Tabasco, a squirt of tomato purée and Maldon salt & cracked black pepper and mix it altogether until it forms a smooth pink paste. Now add you tuna and smash it in with a fork. Voilá tasty tinned tuna! 

These days quality line & pole caught tinned tuna or more locally caught Mediterranean Yellow Fin, like my personal favourite, Ortiz Atún Claro, are readily available from supermarkets.  http://www.conservasortiz.com/caste/productos/familia_productos.php?subseccion=9&es_delicatessen=no

Although this premium tuna in olive oil is delicious on it's own in salads, I still love to make my Mom's tuna mix for my sambos and here's how to re-create this mouth-watering open-top melter:

 

1. Take a slice of multi-seed bread (I used Lidl's freshly baked loaf), then mash a *quarter avacado onto it. 
2. Put your Roman and red chard lettuce on top, then add your quartered lovely yellow cherry & vine grown tomatoes, and sliced red/yellow baby peppers. 
3. Using your fingers, place your magnificent tuna mix on top, then add slices of Dubliner White Cheddar cheese http://www.dublinercheese.ie/ .
4. Finish with a smattering of spring onions, then grill for 30 seconds until the cheese is melted.
5. Garnish with a bit of the leftover veggies and a drizzle of Balsamic. 

                                              

*With your leftover avacado, always leave the stone in it, squeeze some lemon juice onto the exposed flesh and put it in a ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge, it should last a few more days without going brown.)