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Julia Child was certainly a culinary pioneer, bringing the sophistication and elegance of French cooking to U.S. home kitchens and becoming America’s first celebrity chef. While she sticks to tradition when it comes to famous French dishes like boeuf bourguignon and coq au vin, she puts her own unique twist on the humble tuna fish sandwich. Julia Child transformed a tuna fish sandwich into something magnificent using both conventional and unconventional ingredients.
Child starts with the main ingredient itself, swapping the conventional water-packed canned tuna for a richer oil-packed tuna. Out of a long list of the best canned tuna brands, many of our favorites were packed in olive oil because they had both better textures and flavors than their water-packed counterparts. Julia Child’s second must-have ingredient was the very unpretentious Hellman’s mayonnaise. We ranked Hellman’s mayo fifth in our taste test of mayo brands (with Duke’s in first place), but its fairly neutral flavor and creamy, fluffy consistency lets the earthy, meaty, umami-rich oil-packed tuna shine.
The choice of bread is the third and final element that distinguishes Child’s tuna fish sandwich from conventional white or even toasted rye. Controversially, she chose to slather tuna salad on toasted English muffins. The crisp exterior and airy crumb offers a perfect textural contrast to the creamy, meaty tuna while still providing a firm foundation that won’t buckle or become soggy. Plus, since her version is on open-faced sandwiches, you get double the tuna.
Julia Child-approved ingredients for a better tuna sandwich
Oil-packed tuna, Hellman’s mayo, and toasted English muffins are the foundation for Julia Child’s preferred working lunch, but her recipe also includes many other additions that make it truly magnificent. To the tuna salad itself, she adds capers, cornichons, celery, sweet Vidalia onions, and lemon juice. Pickled cornichons and capers bring a vinegary and salty element to the tuna, celery is the ultimate savory crunch, and the onions and lemon are the tangy, sweet, and slightly spicy bite to round out the flavor profile. She tops the tuna salad with garnishes like soft butter lettuce, sliced onions, and a thick slice of tomato.
While Julia Child’s open-faced tuna sandwich is impeccable, there’s still room for improvement. We provide numerous ways to elevate your tuna salad sandwich that you can apply to her recipe. For example, upgrade the open-faced tuna sandwich into a tuna melt by melting cheddar or American cheese on top. You could also swap out the English muffin for bagel halves if you want an especially hearty option. Add diced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne for some heat to balance Child’s tangy, briny, and umami tuna salad recipe. If you want an extra crunchy tuna sandwich, top the tuna and garnishes with a handful of potato chips; we recommend these crunchy, tangy Kettle Brand Sea Salt and Vinegar chips.
