The combination of tuna and mayonnaise is a classic and beloved sandwich filling, but food experts say there is another ingredient that can elevate the dish in terms of flavour and texture
Tuna mayonnaise sandwiches have been a fan favourite for years and making them one of the most popular fillings and here’s how you can make them even better.
Culinary whizzes are suggesting a twist that could seriously lift your sarnie game even more. Sour cream is the new recommended mix-in instead of the traditional mayo – and can turn this simple bite into something you wouldn’t be embarrassed to serve at a posh afternoon tea.
Swapping mayonnaise for sour cream apparently gives your tuna sandwich a superior creamy texture with a delightfully subtle tang, amplifying the fish’s flavour without smothering it.
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Experts over at Tasting Table explained: “While the mayo’s custardy, egg tones are typically expected, you’ll find sour cream’s sweet, creamy medley to be just as (if not more) satisfying.”
The pros further detailed: “Both mayonnaise and sour cream have a tangy flavour base, but sour cream has a milky richness that brings a refreshing element to tuna salad. The fish’s usual salty, savoury taste is less dull and instead, perfectly balanced by an equal amount of deep and bright flavours.”, as reported by the Express.
What’s more, they highlight a change in the consistency, and claimed: “Even better, with sour cream’s consistency, there’s also a textural shift that makes for a much better eating experience. Everything comes together beautifully on the taste buds – the fish’s tender yet chewy bites and the veggies’ slight crunchiness, all coated in the sour cream’s velvety thickness.”
Sour cream also boasts the advantage of typically being lower in fat than mayonnaise, making it a marginally healthier choice that still provides a delightfully rich and creamy flavour. To whip up your sandwich filling, Food.com suggests adding one tablespoon of sour cream (either standard or low-fat) to 5oz of tuna in a bowl and mashing them together.
For an additional kick of taste, you can sprinkle in a bit of salt and black pepper and one teaspoon of mustard, although the latter is entirely up to you.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together, you can add more sour cream (and mustard) depending on your liking. Then simply dish up your tuna salad in a sandwich and garnish with slices of cucumber, tomato and lettuce for a splash of freshness.
If you want to add in some lettuce but always find it’s gone soggy by the time you get round to using it, Nicole Modic, cookbook author and founder of Kale Junkie gave her top tips on keeping it fresher for longer. She advised to start by chopping off the lettuce head’s stem, as this area is prone to harbouring bacteria which can be a major contaminant for your greens, as reported by the Express.
Next, snugly wrap the leaves in a tea towel or paper towels, tuck them into a sandwich bag, and then store them in the refrigerator. This method tackles lettuce’s tendency to produce surplus moisture, which invites unwanted bacteria and mould.
The towel serves not just to soak up additional dampness but also as a shield against bacteria – so your lettuce will preserve its freshness far longer than usual. To maintain optimal freshness, remember to swap out the towel every few days – you’ll be rewarded with crisp, fresh lettuce for up to two weeks more.
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