A crisp, savoury buttermilk waffle loaded with wild tuna, sharp white cheddar cheese and fresh herbs.

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So, I had absolutely no idea how contentious the tuna melt was.  Not necessarily MY tuna melt, just ANY tuna melt.  This was new information to me.

The classic open faced, mayo-smashed, canned tuna sandwich was a staple of mine through university.  All that melty cheese, running over the edges of a slice of thick, toasted white bread.  Comfort food at its finest!  But when I started soliciting others on how they think this classic could be improved,  I discovered a lot of people do not believe in the one exception to the commandment that fish and cheese shall never meet.

Raincoast Trading provided me with an assortment of their canned fish, including some beautiful wild albacore tuna. Their tuna is all sustainably caught to help preserve non target species and is Ocean Wise recommended.  Now our pantry is always stocked with canned salmon and tuna as it tends to be my go-to protein towards the end of the week for lunches and dinners. (This Easy Weeknight Spaghetti featuring canned tuna is one of my favourites!)  In recent years I have switched to choosing only wild, hook and line caught canned fish.  Not only for the sustainably reasons, but the quality of the product can't be compared.  So when the opportunity arose to work with Raincoast Trading and develop some recipes featuring their superior canned salmon and tuna I was eager to put a new twist on my old favourite the tuna melt.

Back to the debate...

So I am not saying I don't slightly understand the concern as I myself believe there are only two, maybe three exceptions to the fish and cheese rule.  But seriously, the tuna melt is by far the best exception, with tuna "helper" coming in a very close second.  There is just something that 'works' in a combo that on paper probably shouldn't.

There are a few departures from the classic in these Tuna Melt Waffles.  First, there is no mayonnaise.  The batter is already very rich but airy and essentially acts as the binder.  I did top mine with a runny egg which I think also replaces some of that richness you find with the mayonnaise.  Also, I am not a huge fan of celery in my tuna salad, but I think the crunch is nice.  In this case, I used some finely chopped green cabbage to achieve the same result.  Fresh parsley and scallions provide a freshness to the waffle and finally sharp white cheddar was my cheese of choice.

If you haven't made the switch to sustainable, hook and line caught Pacific Tuna,  give it a try just once.  Raincoast Trading has most of its products available online at Amazon.ca or in major Canadian grocers.  And I am eager to know where you stand on the classic tuna melt?  Best thing ever? Never going to happen on your watch? Tell me your variations to the classic, I would love to hear them.

Tuna Melt Waffles

Author: Food Well Said

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 10

A crisp, savoury buttermilk waffle loaded with wild tuna, sharp white cheddar cheese and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 300g, (2 tins) Raincoast Trading Wild Albacore Tuna
• 1 scallion, white and green parts chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup minced green cabbage
• 1 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese
• Optional: a fried egg to top the waffle and an additional scallion for garnish.

Instructions

1. Preheat the waffle maker.
2. To make the waffle batter, combine the first 7 dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk the yolks, buttermilk and oil. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix gently until just combined. Whip the eggs whites until soft peaks form and fold the whites gently in the waffle batter.
3. To make the tuna mixture: Combine the tuna, onion, parsley and cabbage. Mix well until all incorporated. Reserve some of the tuna mixture for topping the finished waffles.
4. To make the waffles: Scoop a small amount of batter (just less than a 1/3 of a cup) onto the preheated waffle iron. Sprinkle a small amount of the tuna mixture over the batter, top with some grated cheese and then another small scoop of batter (this time about 2 tablespoons). Transfer cooked waffles to a cooling rack and serve warm.

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This project is supported by the BC Government's Buy Local Program; delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC with funding from the BC Ministry of Agriculture. #BCbuylocal