Tahini-Miso-Mayo Spanish Tuna Smash

Notes

The tuna you get from Spain changes this. Packed in olive oil, properly seasoned, firm but not dry — it's a different ingredient from regular tinned tuna. The trinity here is tahini + mayo (Kewpie) + miso in roughly equal parts, adjusted to mood. Still in experimentation phase on ratios — somewhere between ½ and 1 tbsp each is the zone. Sumac and aleppo in quantities that would concern a normal person. Fresh lemon. Some of the oil from the can but not all.

Good on sourdough as a proper open-face sandwich. Also excellent on Mary's crackers as a smash/dip situation.

Ingredients

• 1 can good Spanish tuna in olive oil (spicy if you can get it)
• ½–1 tbsp tahini (organic, stir well first)
• ½–1 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise
• ½–1 tbsp white miso paste
• Sumac — fuckton
• Aleppo pepper — fuckton
• ½ lemon, juiced (fresh, not bottled)
• Some of the oil from the can — not all, just a glug
• 1–2 slices sourdough (nice bread — it matters) OR Mary's crackers
• Baby arugula + spinach mix — big handful

Instructions

The smash

Drain most of the oil from the can into a bowl — keep a glug back. Add tuna. Add tahini, mayo, and miso — start at ½ tbsp each, taste, adjust. You want it cohesive and creamy but still with some texture. Don't overwork it into paste. Squeeze lemon over. Hit with a serious amount of sumac and aleppo. Mix. Taste. Add more sumac. More aleppo. You're probably still not there. Add more.

Build it

Sandwich version: Toast the sourdough. Lay arugula/spinach on one slice. Pile tuna smash on top. Open face — don't close it, it doesn't need it.

Cracker version: Mary's crackers flat on a board. Spoon tuna smash generously onto each. Eat immediately before they go soft.

Either way: extra squeeze of lemon at the end, pinch more sumac, done.

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

• Calories: ~640
• Protein: 35g
• Fat: 31g
• Carbs: 52g

Estimated from the ingredients — amounts and serving size vary, so treat it as a ballpark.

Tips

• The miso is the secret — adds depth and a slight sweetness that makes the whole thing taste more intentional than a regular tuna mix
• Ratio experimentation ongoing — some days more tahini (nuttier, thicker), some days more miso (deeper, saltier). Both work. Trust your mouth
• Don't use all the can oil — too much makes it greasy; a glug adds richness and carries the flavors
• Spanish tuna brands worth getting: Ortiz, Serrats, Olasagasti — all solid. The spicy version if available
• High protein, no cook — ~35–40g protein depending on tuna brand, under 500 cal on crackers version