How Stanley Tucci Makes a Tuna Melt

I fell in love with tuna melts two summers ago. I’d never had one before — they weren’t common in my Texas hometown when I was growing up — and I’d been reluctant to try them for years. Big mistake on my part.

With one bite of this salty, gooey, crispy delicacy, I knew I had found my go-to diner order. While the thought of hot tuna with cheese doesn’t sound like it should work, I can assure you it does. And if you need any further verification that this is one of the greatest sandwiches to grace menus in the United States, Stanley Tucci agrees with me.

The Emmy Award-winning actor, host of the recently released series Tucci in Italy, and food enthusiast often shares clips of what he’s eating and drinking at home on his social media. While he usually features his favorite cuisine, Italian food, Tucci’s cooking skills go beyond just pasta — and earlier this year, he revealed his secrets to making the perfect tuna melt, including some tips we can all try at home.

How does Stanley Tucci make a tuna melt?

Some tuna melts may involve optional additions like lettuce and tomato, but Tucci keeps it simple with bread, cheese, and the star of the show, tuna salad. His rendition of tuna salad features the traditional mix-ins: canned tuna, minced red onion, celery, mayo, salt, and pepper. 

But when it comes to the cheese, the Conclave star begins to depart from tradition, which would usually call for cheddar or American. Tucci is using slices of Emmentaler cheese (also called Emmental), a yellow cheese from Switzerland with fairly large holes scattered throughout. This alpine-style cheese is nutty, mild, and subtly sweet, a flavor profile that complements the punchy, briny notes of tuna salad. 

Emmentaler melts easily and has quite a creamy mouthfeel, making it texturally ideal for a hot sandwich. At the same time, it has a more complex flavor than other creamy, melty options like American cheese. Tucci places the cheese on top of his tuna salad, which is sandwiched between two slices of what appears to be sourdough bread.

To griddle his sandwich, Tucci uses a stove-top panini press to smash the tuna melt down as it heats the center and toasts the bread. If you don’t have a panini press, you can achieve the same effect by placing a cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich and using it as a press. But there’s one more step you shouldn’t forget: just like Stanley Tucci, use butter on the outside of your bread instead of mayo for added flavor and richness as it toasts.

What kind of tuna does Tucci use?

There are two important qualities that the actor notes he always looks for when selecting canned tuna to make this dish. According to Tucci, choose a tuna “that’s in brine or water,” and “you want to get the whitest tuna you can.”

In many cases, tuna packed in olive oil is preferred over tuna in brine or water because of its more unctuous texture and richer flavor. However, when making a tuna melt, which already has butter on the exterior, mayo on the inside, and melted cheese for richness, adding more fat from olive oil isn’t always the best choice. Brine- or water-packed tuna is slightly more neutral and helps avoid this issue — just make sure to drain it thoroughly to prevent a soggy sandwich.

Why does Tucci care about the color of his tuna? If you compare different types of canned tuna, you’ll see differences in color, from a very light pale pink (often called white) to darker pinkish-brown and tan shades. This is because not all canned tuna comes from the same species.

“White” tuna is typically albacore, which has a milder flavor and firmer meat. Other options, such as skipjack or yellowfin, may have a fishier taste and softer texture. 

Although it really comes down to personal preference, the hearty texture and subtle flavor of albacore does lend itself well to the tuna melt format. It holds up better between bread slices, and its mild taste makes it easy to pair with other ingredients. (If you’re at the grocery store choosing a can, note that the term “white tuna” often refers to albacore, while “light tuna” probably indicates a darker species.)

Armed with a good can of tuna and Tucci’s instructions for making what I would call the perfect sandwich, there’s just one other thing the actor recommends: a pickle to enjoy on the side.