This Tuna-Salad Sandwich is a Julia Child-Approved Lunch - and only takes 10 minutes

I LOVE a good tuna salad sandwich. I usually only make them on weekends since I don't want to be THAT person who stinks up the break room with the smell of fish.  But now that we are working from home I have added it back into the weekly repertoire.  And imagine my delight when I read the article in the New York Times Magazine that this recipe for a tuna-salad sandwich is Julia Child Approved.  Everyone always wanted to cook something complicated and fancy for Julia when she traveled, so "when she got home, she craved simple food and seized what opportunities she had to enjoy it. Although she knew that visitors often expected something posh, even she, a gracious and energetic host, wasn’t likely to make a fancy lunch, so she cleverly turned the tuna sandwich into her midday signature."  Here is the link to the Tuna Salad Sandwich - Julia Child Style. It is pretty easy to pull together.  It took me ten minutes tops to make mine for lunch the other day, and the recipe makes enough for two people. Or enough to save for lunch the next day. Remember that for Julia, the important ingredients for this sandwich were the tuna (it had to be packed in oil) and the mayo (she preferred Hellmann’s). And she preferred Bay's english muffins. She  loved to add on the onions. And with working from home, you don't have to worry about who your breath may offend in the afternoon. So Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS FOR THE TUNA SALAD:

• 1 (5-ounce) can tuna packed in oil, drained
• 3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, preferably Hellmann’s, plus more for spreading
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion, preferably Vidalia
• 3 to 4 cornichons, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed, patted dry and chopped if large, or 5 olives, pitted and chopped
•  Fresh lemon juice
•  Salt
•  Freshly ground pepper, preferably white
• 1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives or parsley (optional)

FOR ASSEMBLY:

• 2 toasted English muffins (preferably Bays) or 4 untoasted white bread slices
• 4 soft lettuce leaves, such as Boston
• 4 tomato slices
• 4 thin slices onion (optional)

 PREPARATION:

1. Prepare the tuna salad: Using a fork, mash the tuna with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise. Add the celery, as much onion and chopped cornichons as you’d like, and the capers or olives, and toss to combine. Add a squirt of lemon juice, some salt (go easy at first) and pepper. Taste and see if you'd like more mayo, onion or cornichons. Add more lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives or parsley, if you’re using either. (Makes 1 1/2 cups.) The tuna salad is good to go as soon as it’s made, but it’s even better after a couple of hours in the fridge.
2. When you’re ready to serve, spread the muffins or bread with a little mayonnaise. If you’re using English muffins, do what Julia did: Make open-face sandwiches. Put a leaf of lettuce on each muffin half, top with tuna salad and finish with tomato and onion. If you’re using sliced bread, prepare traditional sandwiches: Top each of 2 slices of bread with 1 piece lettuce, tomato and onion, then spread over the tuna and finish with remaining onion, tomato, lettuce and bread.

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