Tuna Guys' Mediterranean Sandwich

I grew up in a StarKist household. Our cupboard always held several cans of the pungent finely shredded tuna wrapped in a label sporting a smiling blue fish. With enough mayonnaise and pickle relish mixed in you could make a decent lunch- especially when you skipped the bread and scooped up the tuna with corn chips. (I would eat almost anything on corn chips.)

However as the years passed my awareness of food quality increased and I began to read about sustainable fishing. The more I learned the less interested I became in cans of water filled pressed tuna. My tuna sandwich lunches went through a dark spell until one fateful day when we discovered the Tuna Guys.

With a small fleet of vessels based out of the charming fishing village of Gig Harbor, Washington the Tuna Guys sail forth and catch Albacore tuna. This small family business has fished the waters of the Northwest for over 30 years. Each fish is line caught, blast frozen, and then carefully hand packed into cans. The can contains a sashimi grade chunk of fish, with no water added. Next, the tuna is then cooked in the can retaining all of the nutrients and flavor from the meat. This means that instead of draining the tuna, you can use the liquid directly in your cooking.

Eating tuna canned this way was a revelation to me. Big flaky chunks of sweetly flavored fish were a direct contrast to the mushy tuna sandwiches of my childhood. Even though this tuna is not cheap, I have been purchasing Tuna Guys tuna for almost ten years and believe that quality tuna is worth the cost. As they say, "Try us once and you'll be hooked!"

The photo above shows a Spanish Style Tuna Rather than Albacore

This recipe for a Mediterranean style tuna sandwich knocked mayonnaise out of the mix entirely. It is marvelous on a toasted Italian style bread, and can even be turned into a gourmet camping meal since the ingredients do not need to be refrigerated. Mixing capers, olive oil, lemon and olives together allows the tuna to be the star of the show, while adding to the background a salty tang to satisfy even the most die hard tuna sandwich fan.

Mediterranean Tuna Sandwich (Printable Recipe)
Inspired by Grab and Go Subs, San Diego
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

4 Italian style hoagie rolls, split open and lightly toasted
1 can Tuna Guys Albacore tuna (or another premium brand)
2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil (depending on the amount of liquid in the tuna can)
2 Tablespoons Capers
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon Chives, minced
1/4 cup Black Olives
1 medium Tomato, diced
1/4 cup Red Onion, finely diced
1/4 cup Pepperoncinis, chopped (less if you don't want a spicy kick)
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Fresh Ground Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Lightly toast each hoagie roll using a toaster oven or toaster.

Empty all contents of the tuna can into a medium sized bowl. Gently break up the chunk of tuna with a fork. Add in olive oil, capers, roasted red bell peppers, chives, black olives, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, and lemon juice. Mix ingredients together until well combined. Fill each hoagie roll with the tuna mixture. Drizzle a small line of oil and vinegar along the top of the tuna in each roll. Add freshly ground salt and pepper on top to taste.