Reinvented tuna sandwich salad

This is just a coincidence that happened on one Friday night when wondering what to cook and juggling between everyone’s wishes. With a bread I bought the day before while driving long 8 hours from Cognac to Lyon. With tuna, that is always in the cupboard. Eggs, that are always at home. And, cucumber, since the season started.

2 cans of tuna chunks in brine
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
4 medium slices of bread, torn into larger pieces
a handful of peppermint, basil, and parsley leaves

cucumbers:
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vinegar (I prefer the Bouteville smoked edition Le Fumé)
a bit of freshly ground pepper

mayonnaise sauce:
1 egg yolk or 2 quail eggs
1 tsp Dijon mustard
sea salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
40-50 ml good grape seed or very mild extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice


Cut thinly cucumbers, toss in some salt, place in a strainer, and leave for 20 minutes. Wash off the excess salt and dry a bit. Add vinegar, pepper, and oil and mix.

Heat the oven, and when hot, add half of the bread pieces and dry them for 8-10 minutes. Take out and place in a serving plate. Add the rest of the bread somewhere in between.

While cucumbers are salting and the bread is in the oven, prepare the sauce. Put the egg yolk, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl or a blender cup and whip with a whisk or blend. Continuously whisk or blend, add the oil in a very slow stream. Check the consistency which in this case should be quite runny, not thick as mayonnaise. In the end, add lemon juice and incorporate.

When all is ready, top the bread that you have already placed on the serving plate with cucumbers, then tuna, eggs, sauce, and herbs. Add some freshly ground pepper and serve.