A tuna salad unlike any other you’ve had before! Tabbouleh vibes with a creamy feta dressing, loaded with bright Mediterranean favourites like lemon, olives, tomato, cucumber and red radish. Eat in a bowl with a spoon. Or stuff into pita bread. SO GOOD!

Mediterranean tuna salad

This is one of those recipes that was created with a specific goal: to make a healthy salad using canned tuna that was actually, properly I want to eat that tasty, not just meh, ok, I guess I have to make do with the canned tuna type meal, or even worse – but it’s healthy, so I’ll suffer through something bland.

No. I can’t. I just can’t sacrifice enjoyment of meals for the sake of low calorie eating. Life is too short to eat miserably, even for skinny jeans!

But, really tasty meals that also happen to be low carb, gluten-free, low calorie and economical are special.

Today’s Mediterranean Tuna Salad is one such recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ingredients for this Mediterranean tuna salad

Think: a loaded tabbouleh. Except with tuna, a creamy feta dressing, added bulk and nutritional goodness from kale, plus olives, capsicum and red radish.

Hmmm…reading that back, it really doesn’t sound similar to tabbouleh at all! But you get my drift. It has a tabbouleh like spoon-able texture. But it’s more substantial so you can have it as a meal.

THE CREAMy FETA DRESSING

This salad gets good flavour from the tuna tumbled all throughout so the dressing itself doesn’t need a ton of ingredients. Also, the feta does a lot of heavy lifting here!

• Danish feta – This is the creamy type of feta. The texture is halfway between a crumbly Greek feta and soft goats cheese. It crumbles but in a smeary way and it can be used to toss through salads but also easily purees into a creamy dressing.

  If using Greek feta, the more crumbly type (ie your fingers don’t get smeary when you crumble it), the dressing will take a little more blitzing effort to make it smooth and a dollop of yogurt to help make it creamy wouldn’t go astray either.

• Lemon juice – Fresh and tangy! The dressing is bright and tangy, reminiscent of tabbouleh but not as sharp (tabbouleh is usually just lemon). The lemon tang offsets the creaminess of the feta.

• Extra virgin olive oil – The better the quality, the better the flavour!

• Salt and pepper – For seasoning.

CANNED TUNA – CHOOSING

Not all tuna is created equal and not all tuna is sourced responsibly!

Use a tuna in olive oil for a tastier option, and choose:

• best – skipjack tuna pole and line caught

• acceptable – FAD-free purse seine caught skipjack tuna (most common at large Australian grocery stores)

Do not buy bluefin and big eye tuna (endangered), or tuna that is caught using FADs with purse seine nets, gillnetting and longlining (high cost to marine life). Opt for skipjack tuna, and eat less albacore and yellowfin tuna.

Check the canned tuna label to determine tuna species and fishing method. For recommended brands and more information on choosing responsible canned tuna, read this post: Choosing sustainable canned tuna.

THE SALAD STUFF

OK! And lastly the leafy green and vegetable stuff that goes inside this tuna salad. Pro tip: Curly kale is easy to chop into little pieces because it practically “self crumbles” once you start chopping!

• Kale – I use curly kale in this salad because it’s easier to chop into little pieces thanks to the shape of leaf which lends itself to “crumbling” as you chop (as long as it’s fresh and perky not old and floppy). However, tuscan kale (aka cavolo nero/black or lacinato kale) can be used in a pinch.

  Other options – baby spinach, cabbage or other greens sturdy enough to finely chop.

• Red radish – For perky freshness and lovely little pops of pink! Substitute with red onion or green onion.

• Red capsicum – A medium or large size one. Yellow would also be great and add to the kaleidoscope of colour here!

• Tomatoes – Unlike many salads where tomato is chopped into small pieces, we are not deseeding it today. Scrape all the watery seeds into the salad – it forms part of the “dressing”!

• Kalamata olives – Whole pitted olives that we will cut into four pieces. I like doing that because you get these little juicy briny bits of olives littered throughout the salad. Pre-sliced olives don’t have quite the same meaty little bite to it, though you can absolutely use it for convenience.

• Parsley – For herby freshness, and a nod to the tabbouleh-aspiration.

• Cucumber – I use what we call Lebanese cucumbers here, the ones that are around 18cm / 7″ long. If you are using the long telegraph cucumbers (about 30cm / 12″ long), you’ll need just over half.

How to make this fabulous tuna salad

One of the more technical recipes on this website:

1. Blitz the dressing

2. Toss everything together

(Forgive me, sometimes I have to find ways to amuse myself during long days working at home alone!😂)

1. MAKE Creamy feta dressing

I find it easiest to use a stick blender for this dressing. There’s not enough volume to use a regular size food processor though a small one would work. A blender is a bit of a pain for small volume creamy dressings, I find. Too hard to scrap it all out.

1. Blitz the feta, lemon, oil, salt and pepper until smooth.

2. Adjust the thickness if needed using a teaspoon of water at a time. Goal: Thick drizzle-able consistency. ⚠️ Don’t make it too watery because the juices from the vegetables will dilute the dressing when it all gets tossed together.

2. TOSS SALAD

I haven’t included step photos for chopping the vegetables because it doesn’t really matter what shape or how you chop them, as long as they are small spoon-able size. However, I demo the vegetable chopping in the recipe video below.

1. Toss in stages – Put the kale, capsicum, tomato (scrape in all the juices too), cucumber, radish and olives. Pour over all the dressing and toss well. Crumble in the feta and toss again – it will smear which is a good thing!

2. Tuna chunks – Then add the tuna. Break it up gently into chunks as you gently toss it through. I personally like having chunks rather than tiny crumbly bits of tuna which is why I add the tuna last.

And you’re done – time to eat!

Ways to eat this tuna salad

It’s pretty well documented in the decade of recipes contained on this website that I’m a big fan of salads you can eat with a spoon rather than a knife and fork (proof here and here and here). Somehow just makes salads seem more satisfying as a meal, rather than a bowl of wimpy leafy greens that has me reaching into the cookie jar half an hour after dinner. (I can literally *hear* my mother rolling her eyes as she reads this, telling me to grow up! 😂)

Anyway, all that was leading to the ground-breaking instruction to serve this salad in a bowl and eat it with a spoon.

Or – stuff it into pita pockets for the best tuna sandwich of your life. – Nagi x

PS Mmmm, that might be a bit of an excessively grandiose statement! Let’s say it’s equal best with the classic Tuna Sandwich. I have a very big soft spot for that one. And also see below the recipe card for some more canned tuna recipe options that I’m proud to say all continue to receive rave reviews, even from canned tuna skeptics! 😇

Watch how to make it

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Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing

Recipe video above. A tuna salad unlike any other you've had before! Tabbouleh vibes with a creamy feta dressing, loaded with bright Mediterranean favourites like lemon, olives, tomato, cucumber and red radish. Eat in a bowl with a spoon. Or stuff into pita bread. SO GOOD!

Low cal, nutritious, low carb, economical, filling and outstandingly delicious. It's a home run!

Course Lunch, Main, Side

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword canned tuna recipe, mediterranean salad, Tuna Salad

Servings 3 – 4

Calories 421cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Salad:

• 3 tightly packed cups finely chopped curly kale (~6 – 7 kale stems, yes really!) (Note 1)
• 2 tomatoes , chopped into 1 cm / 1/3″ squares (use the juices too!)
• 1 red capsicum / bell pepper , chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ squares
• 1 cucumber , cut lengthwise into 6 or 8 wedges, the chopped into 8mm/1/3″ pieces
• 1 cup roughly chopped parsley leaves
• 8 red radish , chopped into 8mm / 1/3″ squares (sub 1 small red onion or 2 green onion stems)
• 1/2 cup whole pitted kalamata olives , cut into quarters
• 50g/ 1.5 oz Danish feta (the creamy sort, not crumbly Greek feta) (Note 2)
• 425g/ 15 oz canned tuna in oil , drained (Note 3, choose responsibly)

Dressing:

• 100g/ 3.5 oz Danish feta (Note 2)
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small garlic clove
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp water , if needed

Serving option:

• Pita bread pockets , warmed, cut in half
• Also see Dressing extra flavour options (Note 4)

Instructions

• Dressing – Put all the ingredients EXCEPT the water in a jug just large enough to fit the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth. Add water 1 tsp at a time until it's a thick drizzle-able consistency (don't dilute flavour too much). Then taste and add more salt if needed (feta saltiness varies by brand).
• Salad – Place all the salad ingredients EXCEPT the feta and tuna in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing, toss. Crumble feta in, toss (it will smear – we like!). Add the tuna and gently toss, trying to keep some chunks rather than it all crumbling into tiny pieces.
• Taste and add more lemon if desired (I enjoy this on the tart side – tuna can take it!).
• Serve in bowls with spoons for digging in! Tuck warm pita pockets on the side, or use the tuna salad to stuff inside the pita (it's sooooo good!).

Notes

1. Kale – Goal here is to chop it up like you would parsley for tabbouleh or garnishing! Curly kale is easier to chop because the shape of leaf lends itself to “crumbling” (as long as it’s fresh and perky, not old and floppy). However, tuscan kale (aka cavolo nero/black or lacinato kale – photo here) can be used in a pinch.

Finely chopped kale (watch video) – Grab the base of the kale stem and run your hand up the stem to strip the leaves off. Discard tough stem (or add to vegetable stock). Bundle the kale leaves tightly then finely chop like you would parsley leaves! I run my knife through to cut finely into strips, then I chop 90° the other way. Or – use your food processor 🙂 (Though the pieces will get a little smaller). To measure, pack tightly into cups. You really will need 5 large or 6 to 7 medium stems!

Substitute – baby spinach, cabbage or other greens sturdy enough to finely chop.

2. Danish feta – the creamy type, blends effortlessly into a creamy dressing. If using Greek feta, the dressing will take a little more blitzing effort to make it smooth and a dollop of yogurt to help make it creamy wouldn’t go astray either.

3. Tuna in oil is tastier than tuna in brine / spring water!

Sustainable choices – read the can label and opt for: skipjack tuna that is pole and line caught ie no nets (best) or FAD-free (next best). Avoid: Bluefin and bigeye tuna. Eat less: Yellowfin and albacore. See Choosing Sustainable Canned Tuna for my guide.

4. Extra flavouring options – This salad gets flavour and salt from tuna so the dressing doesn’t need wild flavours. If you want to use this dressing on a side salad, suggest adding one or all these options to give it a flavour boost (else you might find it a little plain):

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
1/8 – 1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic (use with caution, raw garlic flavour can be harsh)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Extra salt

Leftovers holds up well for 2 days because kale doesn’t turn into a soggy mess even once dressed. It does get a little watery though (from tomato and cucumber juices) so if you intend to make ahead or keep leftovers, I would add a little extra feta in the dressing and skip the water to make it thicker (like mayo consistency) to anticipate the dilution.

Nutrition per serving for 4 people.

Nutrition

Calories: 421cal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 1208mg | Potassium: 709mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 5621IU | Vitamin C: 100mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 3mg

For canned tuna skeptics

Read the rave reviews! So many skeptics converted!

The most amazing canned tuna pasta

Tuna Mornay (Tuna Casserole Pasta Bake)

Tuna sandwich

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (Nobu)

Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna)

Tuna Pasta Bake

Canned tuna recipes

Life of Dozer

You’d swear they were big hunks of beef, the way he was eyeing off those (un-opened) cans. 😂

The post Mediterranean tuna salad with creamy feta dressing appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

** A very big thank you for sharing the happiness and relief of Dozer’s ongoing recovery post surgery. I’m so touched by all the support. ❤️ Now I can get back to my day job – GREAT FOOD!**

Here’s my recipe for Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi, possibly the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life! Stuffed with juicy pork belly meat with ultra crispy crackling, this Vietnamese sandwich has all the essential banh mi fixings plus a special secret banh mi sauce. Out of all the types of banh mi I make, this is my favourite!

Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi

I recently had the best banh mi of my life at a place called Ca Com in Melbourne. It was a banh mi stuffed with crispy pork belly with a special sauce and plenty of banh mi fixings, and it was absolutely incredible. The standout was the pork itself which was ridiculously juicy with superior crispy crackling!

In fact, in recent years I’ve noticed more people ordering pork belly banh mi over the classic “mystery pork slices” version, an observation consistent with an Instagram poll I ran where 57% of respondents voted for crispy pork over the classic mystery pork slices (16%). Does that surprise you? It did me!

As wildly popular as the pork belly Banh mi is, it is actually quite hard to find really good ones, with dry meat and not-so-crispy-crackling the most common shortfall. So in case you don’t live around the corner from Ca Com (like me, all the way up in Sydney!), here’s my copycat recipe.

It’s not exactly the same (for example, they don’t use pâté, I insist of sticking with this tradition), but I’ve taken inspiration from theirs, including a copycat of their special banh mi sauce. I hope you become as obsessed with this as I have!

Authenticity background – it is!

In case you are curious, crispy pork belly banh mi does exist in Vietnam. The “mystery pork slices” version is still considered the classic, but banh mi shops and street vendors offer all sorts of filling options, from grilled meats to meatballs, chicken to egg. Crispy pork is not as common with street vendors (I think practicality might be a factor, because of the cooking logistics and cost) but it does exist.

Anatomy of a Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi

Here’s what makes up a pork belly banh mi. There’s some gathering involved (oh yes, and a simple crispy crackling pork belly to make 😂). But once gathered (and crackled), assembly is a breeze! Excellent food for gatherings, particularly in summer.

1. Crispy pork belly (don’t worry, I have a tried-and-proven easy crispy crackling trick!)

2. Spreads – mayonnaise and pate

3. Pickled vegetables – carrot and daikon (white radish)

4. Fresh veg – coriander/cilantro, cucumber slices

5. Garnishes – fresh chilli, coriander/cilantro, crispy Asian shallots (optional, store bought)

6. Special banh mi sauce – A hoisin coconut milk mixture, copycat of the sauce used by Ca Com!

7. Crusty bread roll

Slow roasted Crispy Pork Belly for banh mi

Using the tried and true (easy!) tips in my Crispy Pork Belly recipe, this pork belly has terrifically crispy crackling that is crispy from edge to edge – no rubbery spots – with a tender fall-apart-flesh. It’s initially slow roasted to make the meat tender and dry out the skin, then blasted at a high heat to make the skin crispy.

Guaranteed crispy skin tips

Here are my little tricks that make all the difference to ensure we get crispy skin!

• DO NOT SCORE THE SKIN. A) you don’t need to score for crispy crackling. B) It’s risky. All it takes is an accidental pinprick piercing of the flesh and the juices that bubble up through that tiny hole will spread and result in a 10 cm/4″ patch of rubbery skin. While skilled butchers would never make this mistake, do you know who scored the pork belly you bought – an apprentice or a high school kid working in the grocery store meat department? No we do not! Don’t risk it.

• Fridge dry – Dry the skin overnight in the fridge, uncovered. Even a few hours in the fridge is effective. This is an insurance policy step that is recommended. If you skip it (especially if your pork belly was vac packed) you are not allowed to complain if your pork belly is not as crazy crispy as mine! 😂

• Level your pork – Use foil balls to level your pork belly so the skin is sitting as flat as possible. This will ensure even distribution of heat across your pork belly skin for superior crackling. If you don’t do this step, you’ll find that the lower points don’t crackle well – if at all.

And that, my friends, is all the pertinent information I need to impart for crispy crackling pork belly. Then just follow the simple recipe steps! Here’s a visual summary:

INGREDIENTS FOR PORK BELLY

Here’s what you need to make the crispy pork belly. Chinese five spice powder isn’t traditional but I like to add it for a touch of extra flavour. So consider it optional – there’s so many other things going on in banh mi, you won’t miss it.

• Pork belly NOT SCORED – Look for a piece that is even thickness (rather than thin at one end and thicker at the other) with flat, smooth skin. This shape will crackle better and the flesh will cook through more evenly.

  Not scored – As noted in the above section, make sure the skin is not scored. Check carefully if you buy a vac packed one because sometimes it’s hard to tell.

• Oil – Just any neutral flavoured oil: canola, vegetable or peanut oil.

• Salt – Essential for crackling. In fact, if you don’t put salt the skin, it won’t get that nice bubbly crispiness, it just becomes a flat sheet of hard skin.

• Pepper – I actually like to use black pepper for pork belly, but white pepper is fine too.

• Chinese five spice – As noted above, optional extra flavour!

How to make crispy pork belly for Banh Mi

The steps below are a slightly abbreviated version – because there is a LOT to say about crispy pork belly! For a full explanation of the why for particular steps and processes, please visit my Crispy Pork Belly recipe which has much more extensive information.

1. Fridge dry overnight or for a few hours, to really dry out the skin. This is a crispy crackling insurance policy that is especially recommended if you purchased your pork belly vac packed where the skin is fully soaked in juices for days/weeks! If you don’t have time, just pat the skin dry really well with paper towels.

2. Rub the flesh side with the oil, some of the salt, and all the pepper and Chinese Five spice.

3. Foil boat – Place the pork on a large sheet of foil and fold up the sides to create a “boat”. This holds all the pork fat in as it melts which keeps the flesh super juicy and moist. It’s essentially almost confit-ing in its own fat!

4. Salt the skin – Rub a bit of oil on the skin then sprinkle the salt evenly across the surface. Take your time with this step because as noted above in the ingredients section, salt = lovely bubbly crackling!

5. Slow roast for 2 hours at a low 140°C/275°F (all oven types). During this stage, the flesh will become beautifully tender and the skin will dry out but it will still be rubbery at this stage.

   Oven temperature & time – For this recipe, I use the same oven temperature for both fan and standard ovens because at lower temperatures, there is less difference between the two. Astute cooks may also note the time is slightly shorter than the Crispy Pork Belly recipe. This is because we don’t need the pork quite so “fall apart” for use in banh mi as it is chopped up into pieces.

6. Level the skin – After the slow roasting time, the pork will be a bit wonky (meat fibres shrink as they cook) and the skin will still be rubbery. Use foil balls to prop up the lower parts of the belly so the skin is as level as possible so the heat distribution will be more even across the surface and thereby ensuring it crackles evenly!

   Here is what it looks like before and after levelling.

7. Crackle it! Then blast the pork belly in a hot 240°C/465°F (all oven types) for 30 minutes, rotating as needed (if your oven heat is patchy) and using scraps of foil if needed to protect parts that crackle faster.

8. Admire – Pull the pork out of the oven and admire the brilliant crackling you just made, and resist the urge to peel the whole sheet off and run away with it!

Once the pork belly is cooked, we cut it into thick slices then into chunks to stuff into the banh mi.

Other Crispy pork belly banh mi fixings

There’s no denying for this banh mi, the star player is the crispy pork. But the other elements are important too! Here’s what you need.

special banh mi sauce

The standard sauce for banh mi sandwiches is Maggi Seasoning (think of it as an MSG enhanced soy sauce) or a derivation thereof. And while it’s ideal for classic mystery pork slices banh mi, I personally never felt that it really worked with pork belly slices. For one, a watery sauce doesn’t cling to pork belly hunks. And for another, watery sauces softens crispy crackling faster. Criminal.

So when I saw the banh mi fairies at Ca Com drizzle a thick dark brown sauce on the pork belly, I broke out into applause. Genius! I declared. Followed by – what’s in it?

Here’s what’s in it!

pickled carrots and daikon

This is the most common type of pickles I’ve seen in banh mi. They are classic Asian pickles – the tang is not as sharp as Western ones (because rice vinegar is not as sharp as most western vinegars), and they are more sweet than salty (but not overly sweet like some western ones tend to be).

Using carrots and daikon is an easy way to ensure you get great crunch in the pickles! Find the recipe for these pickles here.

vegetables and herbs

Classic banh mi typical includes thin slices of cucumber and green onion, often cut to the length of the bread roll. It’s not much, but enough to add a hint of juicy crunch from the cucumber and freshness from green onion which jumbles together with everything else to create the greatness that is a banh mi eating experience.

SPREADS

As for the spreads, I’m sticking with tradition here: pâté and mayonnaise. If you skip the pâté, it ain’t a banh mi!😊

Making the banh mi

Putting the banh mi together is just about the order in which it is assembled. And stuffing generously. Nobody wants a stingy banh mi!!

1. Pate first – spread on the base of the roll.

2. Mayo next – then spread the mayonnaise on top of the pate.

3. Vegetables – Pile the pickled vegetables on the pate, then place the cucumber slices and green onion against the lid of the roll.

4. Pork – Then pile the pork in!

5. Sauce & coriander – Next, shove plenty of coriander down the side of the pork and drizzle everything with the banh mi sauce. Be as generous as you want – I use about 1 tablespoon.

6. Garnish – And finally, garnish! As much fresh chilli as you dare and a shower of crispy shallots (if using).

And with that, you are done and about to experience one of the greatest sandwiches of your life!!

Why we make crispy pork belly banh mi

We here in Sydney are blessed with an increasing number of banh mi shops, ranging from modern funky ones to traditional banh mi stands in Vietnamese neighbourhoods. However, as noted earlier, it is actually quite hard to find really good pork belly banh mi, with the pork itself being the letdown. The meat is not that juicy, the crackling not always crispy.

Having said that, even if the meat is not perfect, it is still a very enjoyable sandwich, thanks to all the other banh mi fixings. They are also typically extremely good value, with an enormous amount of pork for the price you pay. I understand why they are popular!

But, this homemade version? It is better than any I’ve had in Sydney. You just can’t beat the experience of fresh homemade pork belly.

The other cause to make this of course, is if you do not happen to live in an area with (good) banh mi shops, and for cost reasons too because this recipe will make 5 generously stuffed banh mi for around $30 – $35, depending on the price you pay for pork belly.

I really hope you try this one day. It is truly an exceptional eating experience! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Crispy Pork Belly Banh Mi

Recipe video above. The crispy pork belly version of the famous Vietnamese sandwich, inspired by Ca Com in Melbourne, a famous banh mi shop. Hands down one of the best sandwiches I have ever made in my life, and my favourite type of banh mi (all my recipes here). Excellent food for sharing with friends and Sunday lunches.

The Special Sauce is a copycat of the Ca Com sauce and it's an excellent match for crispy pork – thicker so it clings and doesn't soak and soften the skin or bread.

PS The recipe for the crispy skin pork belly is based on the much-loved Crispy Pork Belly recipe. So you can have confidence that your pork WILL have perfect crispy crackling!

Course Main, Sandwich

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword crispy pork banh mi, Crispy pork belly, pork belly banh mi, pork belly crackling

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Drying skin in fridge 1 day day

Servings 5 rolls

Calories 1313cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Crispy pork belly for banh mi

• 1kg / 2 lb pork belly with skin on , NOT SCORED. Look for 3 – 3.5cm / 1.2 – 1.6" thick, even thickness with flat, unwrinkled skin, preferably not vac-packed (Note 1)
• 1 1/2 tsp canola or vegetable oil , divided
• 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice , optional (you won't miss it)
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt , divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (or white pepper)

Special banh mi sauce (Ca Com copy!)

• 4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 3 tbsp coconut milk , full fat
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce (mainly for colour, sub light or regular soy)

To make the banh mi (5 rolls)

• 5 crusty white rolls (lightly oven toast to crisp if crust is softened)
• 120g/ 4 oz chicken pate (Note 2)
• 6 tbsp whole-egg mayonnaise or Kewpie
• 1 batch Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon
• 3 green onion stems , cut to length of rolls (2 to 3 pieces per roll)
• 2 cucumbers , finely sliced using vegetable peeled or knife
• 2 cups coriander/cilantro leaves and small sprigs
• 3 Birds Eye or Thai chillis , finely sliced
• 8 tbsp crispy fried shallots , store bought (Note 3)

Instructions

Crispy pork belly for banh mi

• Dry skin overnight: Place pork belly on a plate. Pat skin dry with paper towels. Leave uncovered in fridge overnight to dry out the skin. (If you don't have time, pat the skin dry as best you can).
• Preheat oven to 140°C/285°F (both fan and standard ovens).
• Season flesh: Drizzle flesh side with 1 tsp oil. Sprinkle over 1/2 tsp salt, and all the pepper and Chinese five spice. Rub all over the flesh, including on the sides.
• Foil boat: Place 2 pieces of foil on a work surface. Put the belly in middle of foil, skin side up. Fold the sides in to enclose the belly, forming an open box, pinching corners to seal tightly and make it as snug as possible. Place meat on a tray.
• Season skin: Pat skin dry with paper towels. Rub with 1/2 tsp oil then sprinkle remaining 1/2 tsp salt evenly all over the skin surface, from edge to edge.
• Slow roast 2 hours: Place in the oven and roast for 2 hours, tightening the foil around the pork after 1 hour (the pork will shrink). This protects the flesh from drying out.
• Increase heat: Remove pork from oven, then increase heat to 240°C/465°F (all oven types).
• Level pork: Remove pork from foil, discard fat and foil. Place pork on a rack set over a tray. Use scrunched up balls of foil stuffed under pork to prop it up so the skin surface is as level and horizontal as possible (see photos in post).
• 30 minutes blast! Place the pork back in the oven for 30 minutes, rotating after 15 minutes as needed, until the crackling is deep golden, puffy and crispy all over. If some patches are browning faster, protect with foil patches.
• Rest 10 minutes: Remove pork from oven. Rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Making the banh mi

• Sauce – Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside. This will keep for 5 days in the fridge .
• Chop pork – Cut the pork into 1 1/2 cm / 0.6" thick slices, then each slide into 1 1/2 cm / 0.6" chunks.
• Split & spread – Split the roll in half down the side, keeping the lid attached. Smear the base with 1 1/2 tbsp of pate, then 1 1/2 tbsp of mayonnaise (on top of the pate)
• Stuff – Pile about 1/3 cup pickled vegetables on the mayonnaise. Lay 2 slices of cucumber and 2 green onions against the lid. Pile pork on top. Drizzle pork with 1 tbsp of sauce. Stuff coriander/cilantro down the side, sprinkle with chilli then2 tablespoons of crispy shallots as you want (if using).
• Serving – Eat immediately! Banh mi is definitely one of those foods best eaten freshly made!

Notes

1. Pork Belly – Best to get one that has not been vacuum-packed (juices soak skin). If your belly is vac-packed, I really recommend doing the overnight drying uncovered in the fridge.

Look for a piece with flat, even skin as wrinkly skin doesn’t crackle as well (in the ridges, because heat can’t get to it as well).

Do NOT get one that is scored. It is a plain fact that you do NOT need to score for perfect crackling (read proof here!) All too often, butchers do poor scoring jobs and pierce through the fat into the flesh. Even the tiniest prick will cause meat juices to bubble up onto the skin and you’ll end up with rubbery patches.

2. Pate – or other pate of choice, but not orange or other flavoured

3. Crispy fried shallots – Sold in packs and tubs at regular grocery stores in the Asian aisle. Ca Com finishes their pork belly banh mi with a shower of crispy fried shallots! It definitely adds an extra touch, with crunchy salty goodness. But it’s optional because it is still excellent without.

4. Pork belly storage and reheating – Pork belly keeps and reheats well, and the crackling stays crispy. If not using cooked pork immediately, loosely cover with foil (it’s ok, the skin will stay crispy!) and it will be good for an hour to use for the banh mi. If intentionally making ahead, separate the crackling from the meat and reheat the cracking in the oven (crispy!) and meat in the microwave (retains moisture).

Nutrition

Calories: 1313cal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 135g | Saturated Fat: 49g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 26IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Love Banh Mi?

So do I! Proof:

Banh Mi ! (Vietnamese sandwich)

Pork Meatballs for Banh Mi

Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich)

Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon (radish)

Banh Mi recipes

Life of Dozer

So great to continue to see progress with Dozer’s recovery post op! Here he is at his first outing to the park since his surgery. 🙂

This surgery really took it out of him. Combined with his lack of exercise for the better part of the last 7 weeks, I’m taking his rehab slowly. His breathing is still a bit hoarse when he pants, but the most relieving thing for me is that he doesn’t have his panicked breathing episodes (think – asthma attack) multiple times a day. He sleeps through the night peacefully and quietly and is restful during the day.

And I’ve got my shoot-studio companion back. 🥰 He hasn’t figured out yet that he can no longer taste test (see this post for why). He also doesn’t realise I’m shooting pickled vegetables here.😂

The post Crispy pork belly banh mi appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

You can’t imagine how good a ham sandwich can be until you’ve tried Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders! Rolls stuffed with ham and cheese smothered in an onion poppyseed butter sauce baked until the cheese is melty, this American game-day favourite is excellent big-batch party food that is leftover Christmas ham-worthy! (Find more suggestions here).

Leftover Christmas ham recipe idea!

Wouldn’t it be great to re-purpose leftover Christmas ham to make something to ring in the new year?? The answer is here – Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders!!

If you’re wrinkling your nose wondering why is she so excited about a ham sandwich??! – here’s why: because this is not your usual boring ham sandwich. This is a ham sandwich dialled up to 10 by baking it smothered in a savoury seasoned onion butter until the cheese is oozy, the bread is crusty and it’s soaked up the butter sauce.

It’s not something I made up, though I’d love to take credit for it! It’s a popular American party-food favourite. Excellent big-batch food that’s a crowd pleaser, easy and economical to make that can be eaten with your hands. Ticks a lot of boxes!

Recipes for ham and cheese sliders are pretty standard, involving – well, ham, and cheese (I know, you’re shocked), buns and a butter mixture seasoned with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and onion (sometimes fresh, sometimes dehydrated).

So there’s nothing groundbreaking with the ingredients I’ve used but I do have some specific steps I take during the making process that aren’t standard. 🙂 With good reason though, relating to cheese melting and butter soakage. These are important issues!!

What you need for Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

I’m sharing this recipe with leftover Christmas Glazed Ham in mind. Though truthfully, I’ve always just made this with boring old deli-ham.

Filling and Onion Poppyseed Sauce

For the filling:

• Ham – As noted above, this recipe was shared with the intention of using leftover Christmas Ham! But you can use any ham you want. I like using shaved ham so you can pile layers and layers on.

• Swiss cheese – This is the classic cheese though you can use any melting cheese you want, such as cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby (though I personally wouldn’t use mozzarella because it’s not flavoured enough). While I used pre-cut slices for convenience, you can cut or shred your own.

• American mustard – for spreading on the buns. This is the bright yellow stuff that comes in squeezy bottles that’s tangy and not spicy. You can substitute with any other smooth mustard though if you use a mustard like Dijon, you won’t have the same signature yellowy tang, plus it’s more expensive. ⚠️ Just don’t use hot English mustard. Too spicy!!

For the Onion Poppyseed sauce:

• Unsalted butter – melted

• Poppyseeds –  Traditionally used, adds nuttiness and visual effect, plus you get to make fun of everybody who gets the seeds stuck in their teeth. But don’t make a special trip just to find them. Worth making without!

• Finely chopped onion – Just standard brown onions, or substitute with white onion for eschallots (US: shallots, the baby onions).

• Salt, pepper and garlic powder – Flavourings / seasoning.

• More American mustard! For the signature tang and colour.

The bread

As for the bread, you just need a slab of soft white rolls that are stuck together that measure around 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ so it fits snugly in a standard size pan. The rolls pictured below are from Bakers Delight (an Australian bakery chain), 12 rolls is the perfect size. If you’re in the states, 1lb of Hawaiian rolls (12 large or 24 small) are literally the perfect size.

Soft is best because the onion butter soaks in better than using crusty, chewy artisan bread (like sourdough) and the whole sandwich just kind of melds together nicely. White is traditional through if you’re feeling the need to be a bit virtuous, wholemeal bread is fine too.

How to make Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

There’s one thing I do differently from the usual, and that is to give the cheese melting a head start by baking it without the lid first. Once you put the lid on, this massively slows down the cheese melting process – from cold, it takes an hour, by which time the bread on the edge of the pan is far too crusty and dry. In fact, if you look closely at most Ham and Cheese Slider recipes online, the cheese is not melted except on the outer edges. That doesn’t work for me!! 🙅🏻‍♀️

1. Split the slab of bread in half, keeping the rolls stuck together so you can bake in one piece.

2. Spread the base and lid with mustard.

3. Top with ham;

4. Then cover with cheese.

5. Bake without the lid for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted;

6. Butter sauce – Meanwhile, mix together the Savoury Butter ingredients.

7. Remove the sliders from the oven. Melty cheese, hurrah!

8. Top with the mustard-smeared lid.

9. Smother with the Onion Poppyseed Sauce;

10. Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes;

11. Pierce for soakage – Remove foil then stab the crevices where butter is pool to encourage it to soak into the bread;

12. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the top is crusty. Then cut and serve!

Serve hot

I’ve seen some recipes call for the sliders to be left to cool before serving, during which time all that effort to melt the cheese is undone.

If that’s your preference, go right ahead! But for me, eating it while the cheese is oozy and the butter is shiny and the ham is warm and the bread is soft and cosy…. That is an eating experience that is pure joy. Watch the video. You’ll see how happy to makes me. And then, it’s your turn!! 😇 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders

Recipe video above. You can't imagine how good a ham sandwich can be until you've tried Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders! Rolls stuffed with ham and cheese smothered in a tangy mustard onion butter sauce baked until the cheese is melty, this American game-day favourite is excellent big-batch party food that is leftover Christmas ham-worthy.

The mustard and onion really works in this, lending savouriness and tang that sets this apart from the usual boring lunchbox ham sandwiches! And there's probably less butter per roll (1 3/4 tsp each) than if you spread it on like usual. (Did I just convince myself this is healthy? 🤣)

Course Party Food, Sandwich

Cuisine American

Keyword baked ham and cheese sandwiches, hot ham and cheese sliders

Servings 12

Calories 332cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Sliders:

• 12 standard or 24 small soft white roll slab (23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" slab) – Note 1
• 1/3 cup American mustard (ie bright yellow stuff) – Note 2
• 350g/ 12 oz ham , shaved or thinly sliced (up to 500g/1lb, Note 3)
• 250g/ 8 oz Swiss cheese or other melting cheese slices (10 – 12 slices)

Onion poppyseed butter:

• 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter , melted
• 1/4 onion , finely chopped
• 2 tbsp American mustard (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp poppyseeds (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder (sub fresh garlic, finely minced)
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). Line the base of a 23 x 33cm / 13 x 9" pan with paper (Note 5)
• Savoury Butter – Mix ingredients together.
• Assemble base – Cut the slab of rolls in half horizontally. Spread base and lid with the 1/3 cup mustard. Place bread in pan, top with ham then cheese. NO LID YET!
• Bake topless – Bake 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. (Note 6)
• Smother – Remove bread from oven. Top with bread lid, pour/spoon over butter, leaving no patch naked.
• Bake covered – Cover with foil, bake 20 minutes.
• Pierce for soakage – Remove foil. Pierce the intersections where the corners of the rolls meet to encourage pooled butter to soak into the bread.
• Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is crusty.
• Cut while hot then serve!

Notes

1. Soft rolls best so everything kind of melds together. Aim for a slab that will fit snugly in a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan. Australia: 12 Bakers Delight rolls fit perfectly, that’s what I use 🙂 US: Hawaiian rolls are the perfect size, 12 large or 24 small.

2. Mustard – American mustard is the classic here though you can use any mild mustard. Not hot English mustard (too spicy!) and not wholegrain (too bumpy).

3. Ham quantity – If using ham you bought or glazed then slice yourself, you can easily increase this to 500g / 1 lb. The lower amount is for shaved or thinly sliced store bought ham.

4. Poppyseeds –  Traditionally used, adds nuttiness and visual effect, plus you get to make fun of everybody who gets the seeds stuck in their teeth. But don’t make a special trip just to find them. Worth making without!

5. Pan – If you don’t have a pan this size, use a tray with foil and wrap the bread to hold the butter in as it bakes.

6. Baking topless – Important step to ensure cheese melts. If you try with bread lid on at the start, it takes almost an hour before cheese melts. Or, accept the cheese won’t fully melt. (I can’t accept that).

7. Recipe credits – Created with reference to many recipes found online such as the NYT Cooking one and this one from The Kitchn, except, as noted in post, the cheese didn’t melt which is not cool so I changed the method.

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days (subject to remaining shelf life of ham used). Revive by reheating in the oven.

Nutrition per roll. 

Nutrition

Calories: 332cal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 798mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 374IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg

More slider-type things that make excellent party food

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Reuben Sandwich recipe

Banh Mi ! (Vietnamese sandwich)

Slow Cooker Honey Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich)

Cuban Pork Sandwich (Cubanos) from Chef Movie

Life of Dozer

Shot of the year? Mum swimming towards champagne and Dozer swimming towards mum!

The post Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Here’s my classic tuna sandwich. Tuna in oil, not water. Juice from the pickle jar adds tang – oh, and let’s use the pickles too! Dijon for flavour, dill for lovely herbiness, celery for crunch and green onion for freshness. Spread onto your favourite bread and enjoy!

Only homemade tuna sandwiches

One of my dark food secrets is that I’m actually a picky eater. The list of things I don’t want to eat is actually pretty long. Which is why I have to cook.

Case in point – tuna sandwich. There’s just no way I’d ever get one from a food court sandwich shop let alone a pre-packaged one from a servo (that’s a gas service station, for all you non-Aussies out there!). Eewww, bet the bread is soggy, the filling is just nothing but mayo-greasy sloppy with cheap tuna that’s just horridly fishy.

Maybe there are great tuna sandwiches out there. But why risk it when you can eat a sure thing at home, adding zing and freshness to transform fish out of a can into a sandwich filling so good you’ll want to use it as a dip for dunking? (Oh yes I do!)

What you need for Tuna Sandwich Filling

Here’s what I put in my tuna sandwich filling.

• Tuna in oil will make tastier sandwiches than tuna in water. Olive oil is better than just plain oil. But if tuna in water is all you’ve got, don’t hesitate to plough forward!

  Canned tuna types – As with most things in life, not all canned tuna is created equal. Better quality tuna and responsibility fished tuna is pricier. 🙂

• Whole-egg mayo has a smoother flavour than ordinary, non-whole-egg mayo which is typically more vinegary and some brands are overly sweeter to my taste. I only stock whole-egg mayo (Hellmans and S&W are my favourite) and Kewpie (also an excellent choice!)

• Pickles – We are using both the pickle and the juice from the jar for the tang and free extra flavour in the tuna mixture. So the pickle type matters! I use your everyday standard dill pickles. Not sweet pickles, not sweet gherkins, not cornichons, not sour pickles, not spicy pickles!

  (Just jesting with the sternest, you can use any pickles you want here. :))

• Green onion – For freshness. Substitute with eschallots (US: shallots) ie the baby onions, or 1/4 cup red onion finely minced.

• Celery – For much needed crunch, else the filling is just mush. Finely minced so it melds in.

• Dill – For herby freshness. My favourite with tuna, though basil and parsley would make great alternatives.

Also: bread of choice (not going to lie. Everyday sandwich bread is my favourite!). And lettuce. For extra perky freshness and soggy-bread-protection.

How to make tuna sandwiches

This is going straight to my “for experienced cooks only” section: Dump everything in a bowl and mix. Don’t be intimidated! I’ll hold your hand through the whole process – I’ve even made a recipe video for you! 😂

1. Tuna filling – Drain the oil from the tuna then put it in a bowl with all the other Filling ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to mix assertively, breaking up the tuna into almost like a paste. Bashing up the celery and pickles to soften the edges and squeeze out a little juices into the filling is encouraged.

2. Make sandwich – Butter the bread, top with 2 slices of lettuce then tuna sandwich filling. Use as much or as little as you want. Clamp the other slide of bread on then cut and eat! See note below the photo for making ahead.

Matters of Tuna Sandwich

And a few final words on the humble Tuna Sandwich:

• Shelf life – The filling itself will keep for 3 days in a normal container or 5 days in a super airtight container (I have these insanely airtight Glasslock containers that extend food life because it’s like vac-packing).

• Sandwich shelf life – To minimise bread sogginess, butter the bread and use a layer of lettuce on each slice to act as a protection barrier. Sometimes I’ll double up, for extra protection. If you do that, your sandwich will be good for a day!

• Number of sandwiches – This recipe makes a generous amount for 4 sandwiches using everyday sandwich bread. You can make more if using smaller bread rolls.

• Scale the recipe – To make more or less, or to scale a recipe to the tuna can size you have, click / tap on the servings and slide. Handy! 🙂

As a side note, JB made mayonnaise using the oil we drained from the tuna. Trés cheffy thing to do, awesome tuna flavour, but it makes far more than you need for a single batch of this recipe and I’m not quite sure what to do with the leftover mayo other than make more tuna sandwiches, which means opening more cans of tuna and more leftover oil! 😂 So we didn’t use the homemade tuna mayo in this recipe. But drop a comment below if you want the recipe and JB will jot it down and we’ll pop it in the notes of the recipe card. – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Tuna sandwich

Recipe video above. Here's my version of the classic tuna sandwich. Tuna in oil, not water. Juice from the pickle jar adds much desired tang (oh, I use the pickles too!). Dijon for flavour, dill for lovely herbiness, celery for crunch and green onion for freshness. Spread onto your favourite bread and enjoy!

Makes enough for 4 sandwich-bread sandwiches, or 6 medium bread rolls.

Course Sandwich

Cuisine Western

Keyword Tuna Salad, tuna salad sandwich, tuna sandwich

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 6

Calories 688cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Tuna sandwich filling:

• 425g/ 15 oz canned tuna in oil , drained (Note 1)
• 3/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise or Kewpie (Note 2)
• 3/4 cup finely diced celery (1 stalk, cut in 4 lengthways, then finely diced)
• 5 tbsp finely chopped dill pickle (Note 3)
• 2 tbsp liquid from pickle jar (Note 3)
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp finely chopped dill (or parsley or basil)
• 1/3 cup finely sliced green onion , ~2 stems (Note 4)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

For sandwiches:

• 8 pieces butter lettuce (2 per sandwich)
• Salted butter , for spreading
• 8 slices bread or 4 rolls (Note 5)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Filling – Put all the Tuna Filling ingredients in a bowl. Mix well using a wooden spoon, breaking up the tuna so the filling becomes fairly smooth. The pickles and celery will take a beating too which is encouraged -> flavour melding!
• Sandwich – Divide Tuna Filling between 4 sandwiches (or more/less depending on bread size). I butter the bread and use 2 pieces of lettuce per sandwich. Enjoy!

Notes

1. Tuna in oil will make tastier sandwiches than tuna in water. But if tuna in water is all you’ve got, don’t hesitate to plough forward with this recipe! Same recipe works equally well with canned salmon.

2. Whole-egg mayo has a smoother flavour than ordinary, non-whole-egg mayo which is typically more vinegary and some brands are overly sweeter to my taste. I only stock whole-egg mayo (Hellmans and S&W are my favourite) and Kewpie (also an excellent choice!)

3. Pickles – Not sweet pickles, not sweet gherkins, not cornichons, not sour pickles, not spicy pickles. Just your everyday standard dill pickles! Pickled cucumbers are also good, though typically a little softer. (OK, I’m exaggerating, you can use any pickles you want here. 🙂 )

4. Green onion – Sub with eschallots (US: shallots) ie the baby onions, or 1/4 cup red onion finely minced.

5. Bread – I like using plain, run-of-the-mill white sandwich bread! But, you can get fancy with your artisan stuff you want. 🙂

6. Storage – filling will last 3 days in an airtight container, give it a good mix as it gets watery. Assembled sandwich is best eaten fresh though if you want it to last longer, use a piece of lettuce on each piece of bread to provide a soakage protection layer (also don’t skip the butter).

Nutrition for one sandwich assuming 1 tbsp butter is used on white sandwich bread, thick cut (is there any other kind??):

Nutrition

Calories: 688cal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 22g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 1154mg | Potassium: 344mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 711IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 3mg

My canned tuna recipes!

It’s amazing what you can make with a humble can of tuna….

The most amazing canned tuna pasta

Tuna Mornay (Tuna Casserole Pasta Bake)

Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna)

Tuna Pasta Bake

Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice (Nobu)

Canned tuna recipes

Life of Dozer

What to do when there’s loud jack hammering coming from construction next door and you have to record a video voice-over? Hide in the storage room. With Dozer, of course. 😂

The post Tuna sandwich appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.