Tuna mayonnaise sandwiches can be made creamier and less heavy by adding one extra ingredient: crème fraîche. According to Princes, this thick, rich cultured cream made from heavy cream and a bacterial starter culture adds freshness, lightness and a more tangy flavour to the classic filling.
How Crème Fraîche Improves the Filling
The mayonnaise provides a velvety base, while the crème fraîche loosens the texture and adds a gentle tang. Together, they make the filling smooth and rich, but still light enough not to feel heavy. The crème fraîche also adds a subtle sharpness that works well with the other ingredients, including spring onions, gherkins and capers.
Tuna Mayonnaise Sandwich Recipe
Ingredients:
- Your bread of choice
- One tin of tuna chunks or steak
- 65g mayonnaise
- 25g crème fraîche
- 15g spring onions, sliced
- 15g diced gherkins
- 10g diced capers
- Half a lemon, juice only
- 2g chopped dill
- Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Method:
Begin by weighing all your ingredients and chopping the spring onions, gherkins, capers, and dill. Next, in a bowl, combine all your prepared ingredients with the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, lemon zest, and one tin of tuna. Add salt and pepper to taste before spreading the tuna mixture onto your chosen bread, and drizzle the lemon juice over the top.
Lighter Alternative
Greek yoghurt is a good alternative to mayonnaise if you prefer a lighter tuna filling. Its thinner texture and slight tanginess bring out the flavour of the tuna and work well alongside vegetables. It goes particularly well with celery and red onion, needing little more than a squeeze of lemon and some seasoning to finish it off.
