Jackson Jambalaya

Life teaches us that all things are related.  OK, maybe they aren't, but I did get you to read this far and consider looking a bit more into my foolishness.

During an excursion into the wonders of higher education many years back, I read that a butterfly in the Western Sahara can beat its wings as it flies from bush to bush and generate a westwardly directed air flow, contributing to an upper atmospheric movement off the Canary Islands and an eventual Cat-4 Hurricane (on the Saffir-Simpson scale), coming across the beach in Biloxi to wreck Shaggy's, the Holiday Inn Express, and the Project Lounge, which has excellent burgers, and then Desporte Seafood LLC, where I once purchased a tasty Oyster PoBoy and two of the prettiest Tuna steaks I have ever enjoyed. For anyone who might wonder, that last sentence was 104 words long – eat your Yoknapatawpha County heart out, Willy Faulkner. Up to this point, I have been writing with foolish speculation, but if it should ever happen (The hurricane destroying Desporte's), I guess I will be forced to rely on canned Albacore from Piggly Wiggly to satisfy my Tuna craving.

Did they ever make tuna melts in the cafeteria when you were a kid? Clinton Blvd. Elementary had the item on their menu, maybe once a month. Their tune melt was constructed on half of a hamburger bun and looked horrible, but we kids (most of us) loved it. I was a big fan of then, but it was the 1950's and I was just a dumb little kid who wanted to be a fireman, or soda jerk when I grew up, so what did I know?

Anyhow, I occasionally get a hankering for a tuna melt, or chicken melt, or Spam melt these days and sneak one into our dinner rotation. For you guys, it could be called recipe number 107.

Here is how you can make this vintage 1950's half face culinary oddity, that might be an acquired taste from the 1950s.

Tuna Melt

Ingredients:

1 or 2 portions of bread – Hamburger buns work well. I used two of those really thin wheat buns
1 can or pouch of tuna, or canned chicken, or canned spam, or canned shrimp
1/4 cup celery, chopped fine
1/4 cup onion, diced fine
2 Tablespoons capers, because I like them
1/4 cup mayonnaise, as desired
1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheese, Cheddar, Swiss, Provolone, Monterrey Jack, whatever you have
1 Tablespoon Parsley
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Optional – sweet or dill pickles, if you want them

Directions:

Preheat the broiler in the oven, while building the sandwich

Prep the celery, onion in a suitably sized mixing bowl

Add the canned tuna. I drained mine.

Add the capers. I like the way they taste, but not everyone feels that way.

Grate the cheese and set aside. I used Cheddar

Add mayo to the tuna salad mixture. Use whatever amount you like. I make mine somewhat dry.

Add the Parsley, Black Pepper. Mix, taste, and add salt, to taste 

Add the cheese and mix well.

Set up the bread on a broiler sheet

Portion out the tuna mixture on the half buns, or whatever bread you are using

Cook under the broiler, until slightly browned.

I like to add a little more cheese on top of the tuna at this point, either grated or sliced

Back under the broiler until the topping cheese is melted.

Serve while still hot.

Thanks for looking at my post.
God Bless you.