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Olive-Oil-Poached Albacore Tuna, Remoulade and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich
From
Nancy
Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever—From
Thursday Nights at Campanile
1 (3-inch) branch fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 lemon, cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
12 ounces fresh albacore tuna, sliced into 3/4-inch-thick
fillets
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons (preferably kosher) salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 recipe remoulade made with olive oil from the poached
tuna (recipe follows)
Salt (kosher or regular), to taste
Pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon juice, to taste
4 slices white or whole-wheat sourdough bread
Butter (softened), to taste, for grilling
1 garlic clove, peeled
4 ounces (preferably white) Cheddar
1 bunch fresh chives, minced
Yields 4 servings.
Place
the rosemary, bay leaves and lemon slices on the bottom
of a medium saucepan. Arrange the albacore on top
and pour over the oil to cover completely. Sprinkle
with salt and pepper. Cook over low heat for about
8 to 10 minutes, until the first bubble appears in
the oil. (Do not cook longer than that; it should
still be fairly cool.) |
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Immediately
remove the pan from the heat, flip over each piece
of fish and cover the pan with a lid. Allow the tuna
to sit in the warm oil for about 5 to 10 minutes,
until it's cooked all the way through. Remove the
tuna and refrigerate. Strain the oil and chill to
room temperature to use in the remoulade (recipe follows).
Prepare the remoulade with the cooled poaching oil
according to the following recipe.
Place
the tuna in a medium bowl and, using your fingers,
flake it into large chunks. Add 3/4 cup of the remoulade
and mix to combine. Season with salt, pepper and lemon
juice. If desired, add the remaining remoulade.
Adjust
the oven rack to the upper position and preheat the
broiler. Spread a thin layer of softened butter on
both sides of the bread. Grill the bread.
To assemble open-faced sandwiches: Rub one side of
each slice of bread with the garlic clove; place on
a baking sheet, garlic side up. Pile the tuna unevenly
over the bread. Crumble the cheese and scatter unevenly
over the center, leaving a 1-inch border of tuna around
the edge. Heat under the broiler for about 30 seconds,
until the cheese is melted. Squeeze a few drops of
lemon juice, to taste, over open-faced sandwiches
and sprinkle them with chives.
REMOULADE
1
extra-large egg yolk, from a hard-cooked (hard-boiled)
egg
1/4 teaspoon (preferably kosher) salt
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup oil reserved from preceding recipe (see note)
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 to 3 teaspoons warm water
1 tablespoon red onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed
well and finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped cornichons or gherkins
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
Yields 4 servings.
Finely
crush the yolk of the hard-cooked egg. In the bowl
of an electric mixer or in a medium stainless-steel
bowl, whisk the finely crushed hard-cooked egg yolk,
salt and mustard by hand. Slowly drizzle in the oil,
drop by drop, whisking constantly. As the mixture
begins to thicken, add a teaspoon each of the lemon
juice and the water.
Once
you've added almost half of the oil, place the bowl
in the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix
on medium speed. Or continue to whisk in the oil by
hand. Pour the oil in a slow, steady trickle, scraping
down the sides of the bowl as necessary. As the mixture
thickens, add a little more of the lemon juice and
water and continue whisking until the remaining oil
is completely incorporated and the sauce is thickened.
Stir
in the red onion, capers, cornichons, tarragon and
parsley. Season with lemon juice and salt (regular
or kosher), to taste.
Note:
If you are making remoulade for another use, and not
as part of the recipe preceding it, substitute 1 cup
vegetable oil.
(Updated: 09/28/09 TG) |
