Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

Tomorrow will be my 50th blog post and I couldn’t be more excited.  So to show just how excited I am -- I’m doing a cookbook giveaway {one of my favorites: Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers}!  The book will be accompanied with some other little treats {more on that tomorrow} and all you have to do to win is post a comment on my post tomorrow.  The winner will be randomly chosen. 

So let’s get to today’s post -- the delish Tuna Nicoise Sandwich.  Tuna is a staple in my house whether it be steaks seared over heat for just a few minutes, raw in sushi or tartare or good old fashioned canned.  My husband is a fiend for the canned variety -- he just loves his tuna-fish sandwiches.  So, in order to offer him something a little more interesting and grown up, I made him this pressed sammy.  He loved it -- the dressing made with vinegar and mustard was so much more flavorful than plain old mayo and the  crunch of the onions and cucumbers along with the briny kalamata olives really brought all the flavors together.  I’ve made this sandwich a few times and I really do recommend only pressing it in the fridge for an hour or 2 -- overnight can produce soggy bread, which is not so delish.    

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cans oil packed tuna

english cucumber, thinly sliced

small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

round bread loaf

3 tbsp olive tapenade

1 c. fresh basil leaves

2 hard cooked eggs, sliced

1. Whisk together EVOO, vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper.  Transfer 2 tbsp dressing to another bowl and toss with 2 cans tuna, drained.  To remaining dressing, add cucumber and onion.
2. Cut bread in half and scoop out soft interior.  Spread bottom half of bread with olive spread (tapenade).  Top with basil leaves, eggs, salt and pepper.  Top with tuna then cucumber mixture then close sandwich with top of bread.  
3. Wrap sandwich tightly and place between 2 baking sheets.  Weight with heavy skillet and let stand in fridge 1 hour or up to overnight.