It Had to Happen Eventually

I didn't dislike my Open-Faced Tuna Sandwich with Arugula and Sweet-Pickle Mayonnaise (pg 66), but I didn't really like it, either. It is exactly what it sounds like.

A tuna steak is seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence, then grilled. Man, Giada's been giving my grill pan a workout. I hate cleaning that thing. Non-stick, my ass. I digress. In the last minute of grilling, top the tuna with a slice of cheddar. Toast an oiled slice of ciabatta bread on the grill pan, then smear it with a mixture of mayo and diced sweet pickles. Put the tuna on the bread, and top it with arugula and a drizzle of oil.

I'm not a fan of pickles in general, or sweet pickles in particular, so I was wary of this, but when eaten as a whole, it wasn't especially pickley. Honestly, the whole sandwich was pretty bland. I found myself wishing for more pickle flavor, just so something would liven it up. It is definitely not "out-of-this-world fantastic!" as promised in the intro.

My execution wasn't great, but I don't think I'd have liked it even if it came out exactly as Giada intended. A real ciabatta, instead of supermarket bread-fluff, would have helped. Also, I overcooked the tuna. The instruction to add the cheese in the last minute of cooking the fish threw everything off. I didn't think I'd sliced especially thick slabs, but it took at least two minutes, covered, for the cheese to melt. By then, the tuna was pretty well done.

Conclusion: Just okay. This is a non-repeater.

No photo today. Didn't realize my camera battery was dead until I went to snap the picture.