Tuna melts are arguably my favorite sandwich, all melty, pickley and scrumptious. A basic gripe I’ve is when there isn’t sufficient mayonnaise within the tuna combination and it finally ends up tasting canned and metallic – so use heaps and don’t be shy.However tuna sambal is so full of flavour already, you run little or no threat of metallic canned fish flavours spoiling your toastie. The cheese does a marvellous job of tempering the spice from the sambal, leaving you with a far gentler meal.Rosheen Kaul. {Photograph}: Murdoch Books/Armelle HabibFirst make the sambal, which is a combination impressed by a dish from Manado in Indonesia that I’ve fond recollections of – referred to as cakalang rica-rica. The unique dish is a fiery, dry stir-fry of smoked skipjack tuna; massively flavourful and eye-wateringly spicy. You don’t have to make this sambal wherever close to as scorching, however if you wish to you possibly can, by including a few fistfuls of fowl’s-eye or Thai chillies.You’ll want a cast-iron skillet or a sandwich press for the toastie. Bear in mind, mayonnaise is the gold customary for a superbly golden toasted sandwich exterior. It kinds an iron-clad floor that retains your sandwich good and crisp.Rosheen Kaul’s tuna sambal – recipeMakes 2 cups (500ml)8 small Asian shallots or 4 French shallots10 lengthy crimson chillies4 crimson fowl’s-eye chillies4 cloves garlic1 tomato2 lemongrass stalks, tender white half solely of 1, the opposite thinly sliced½ tsp turmeric powder1½ tbsp impartial oil, for frying3 makrut lime leaves, thinly sliced½ crimson onion, diced500g good-quality tinned tuna in oil (or mackerel or sardines), drained1 tsp fish sauce1 tsp sugar1 tsp saltJuice of 1 lime1 tsp crispy shallots (store-bought)Place the shallots, chillies, garlic, tomato, white a part of one lemongrass stalk and turmeric powder in a meals processor or mortar and pestle and mix to a easy paste.Warmth the oil to smoking level in a medium frying pan, then saute the lime leaves and sliced lemongrass over excessive warmth till aromatic.Add the onion and proceed stir-frying till softened barely, then add a few tablespoons of the sambal. Stir-fry for one to 2 minutes, then add the tuna.Proceed frying over medium-high warmth till any liquid evaporates and the tuna begins to dry out considerably within the pan. Break up any bigger items of tuna as you proceed to fry, then add the fish sauce and sugar. Style at this level, add a bit of extra sambal if you want, and skip the salt if the tuna is already salty.In case you add extra sambal or seasoning, fry for an extra jiffy till it’s pretty and dry. When you’re completely happy, add the lime juice and fold by way of the crispy shallots to serve.The tuna sambal will hold for as much as 5 days within the fridge in an hermetic container. Reheat it effectively earlier than you eat it.Tuna sambal soften – recipeServes 1½ cup (125ml) tuna sambal (recipe above)2 tbsp mayonnaise½ tsp chopped pickled capers or jalapeños½ tsp finely minced French or Asian shallots1 tbsp finely chopped parsley and dill2 slices bread4 slices American or cheddar cheeseFlaky salt, to tasteCombine the tuna sambal, half the mayonnaise, chopped pickled capers or jalapeños, shallot and herbs in a small bowl. Style and alter the seasoning as you want. Add sliced contemporary chillies too, should you’re feeling spicy.Unfold the remaining mayonnaise on all surfaces of the bread, then assemble the sandwich, starting with two slices of cheese on the bottom, then the sambal tuna filling, adopted by the remaining two slices of cheese. High with the second slice of mayonnaised bread.Warmth a cast-iron skillet over medium warmth, or use a sandwich press. Gently place the sandwich on the new floor of the pan, then press down and cook dinner till it has a crisp, golden floor and melty cheese inside. In case you’re utilizing a skillet, cook dinner for about 4 minutes both facet, fastidiously flipping in between, and ensure you hold urgent down on the sandwich because it cooks.Switch to a chopping board and sprinkle with a bit of flaky salt when you have it. Minimize in half and eat instantly.
That is an edited extract from Secret Sauce by Rosheen Kaul, images by Armelle Habib (Murdoch Books; $39.99)
