Grilled Tuna Club with Bacon, Tomato, Arugula, and Herb Mayonnaise on Focaccia

This is a showy, marvelous combination. It takes time to prepare, but as everyone knows who loves club sandwiches, it is worth every minute of cooking and cutting. The truth is that none of it is difficult, and most of it is fun. We selected focaccia, a flat bread originally from Genoa, as the vehicle of choice here. Sliced horizontally through the middle, it is sturdy enough to hold a whole lot of ingredients and absorb juices and sauces without falling apart. It also has a chewiness that is superb. This recipe calls for grilled tuna. If you are not planning to use your grill, cook your tuna under the broiler. You can also pan-sear it if your kitchen has good ventilation. Either way, it is a matter of quickly searing the tuna, using intense heat to create a crust while the inside remains rare as you would do with a charbroiled beefsteak.

Course Main Course, Sandwich

Cuisine American

Keyword arugula, bacon, club sandwich, focaccia, Grilled tuna, Tomato

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings 6

Ingredients

18 slices of bacon cooked until crisp
1 tuna steak about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups loosely packed arugula
2 tablespoons chopped scallions
2 tablespoons minced oregano
1 tablespoon minced thyme
6 flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 garlic clove minced
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 ripe tomatoes
6 servings of focaccia

Instructions

Set the rack as close to the fire as possible on a charcoal grill, then preheat the grill until the coals are
hot. Alternatively, preheat the broiler or a grill pan on the stove top.
Brush both sides of the tuna with the olive oil. To grill the tuna, place the tuna on the grill, and grill
about 2 minutes per side for rare, and 3 minutes the tuna, arrange it on the broiler pan and broil 4
inches from the heat. To per side for medium-rare. Transfer the tuna to a plate and let cool. To broil
pan-sear the tuna on the stove top, heat the grill pan over medium-high heat until smoking. Arrange the
tuna steak on the pan and cook. The timing for broiling and pan-searing is the same as for grilling.
Wash the arugula well, pat dry with paper towels, and stems. Put the scallions, oregano, thyme,
parsley, and garlic in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise and lemon juice, and stir well.
Slice the charred tuna into slices about ½ inch thick. (You should have 12 slices-2 per sandwich.) Slice
the pieces of focaccia horizontally through the center. Slice the tomatoes.
Spread the herbed mayonnaise thickly on the cut side of 6 slices of the focaccia. Arrange the tuna on
top, and on it 3 slices of bacon, 2 slices of tomato, 3 or 4 arugula leaves, and top with another piece of
focaccia. Cut each sandwich in half and serve.