Tuna Tartines with Hummus

A few weeks back, Brandon was placing an Amazon order. It was one of those random orders- a new shower curtain, a cable for his computer, and some tea. After placing the order he came into our bedroom to say we were all set, but mentioned he had added something else to the order. Tuna. When I asked how much tuna he had ordered, he sheepishly replied “I think… twenty four cans.”

Needless to say, Brandon is of the buy in bulk mentality.  Me- not so much, which is why he chose to tell me of his purchase after he had clicked submit. I laughed because I knew he was right. I would have never have agreed to that! I like tuna but twenty four cans? I don’t like it that much and the idea of having that much of it on hand makes me like it even less!

Even though I say I’m against it, I’m such a hypocrite when it comes to buying in bulk. I’ll resist and resist and then we’ll buy a huge quantity of something and I get used to having it around forever. Then it’s ok- it’s been accepted into the group of things we can buy in bulk and I’m totally into it. Toilet paper? Yes. Dishwasher soap? Fine. Ten pounds of rolled oats? Let’s do it (I make granola every week).  But I was so not ready for the tuna. Until I tried this recipe.

I vaguely remembered an interesting recipe for tuna sandwiches in my Ina cookbook “How Easy Is That?”.  So when the tuna arrived, I looked to that. I’ll admit, this is one of those recipes that has somewhat of an annoying ingredient list.  Ironically enough we had most of the ingredients on hand, and after making it I can tell it truly is worth the effort to purchase all the ingredients (I’ll definitely be making this again). I know many people don’t like tuna fish, but if you do like it- you will love this. Even if you only like it a little, I think you’ll be surprised. Oh, and I’m calling them tartines because they’re open face sandwiches and, well,  it sounds cuter!

Tuna and Hummus Tartines adapted slightly from the Barefoot Contessa “How Easy is That?”
Makes 6 sandwiches

• 14 ounces jarred or canned Italian tuna in olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced celery
• 2 tablespoons minced scallions
• 3 tablespoons minced cornichons
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons good mayo
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 6 slices hearty whole wheat bread
• hummus, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
• Fresh carrots or radishes, sliced
• 2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved (15.5-ounce can)
• 1/3 cup tahini or sesame paste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Drain the oil from the tuna, reserving the oil. Place the tuna in a mixing bowl and flake it with a fork. Add the celery, onion, cornichons, lemon juice, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil, the mustard, salt, and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Toast the bread and spread each slice with a layer of hummus. Spread the tuna salad on each piece of bread, garnish with slices of radish, and serve immediately.

For the Hummus: Place the chickpeas, 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid, the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, hot sauce, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely pureed. The hummus should be moist and thick; add more lemon juice or reserved chickpea liquid to thin, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for several hours for the flavors to blend. Taste for seasonings. Yield: 2 cups.