How To Make Real New York Deli Tuna Salad + The Best Tuna Melt!

Finely dice the celery and onion. The recipe calls for a half cup of each.

Open four 5-ounce cans of tuna and drain them extremely well. Squeeze out as much water as possible.

In a large bowl, add the drained tuna, sweet relish, celery salt, soy sauce, diced onion, and diced celery.

Using your hands, thoroughly mash and mix all the ingredients together until the tuna is completely broken down into a fine, cohesive paste-like texture.

Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Add 1 to 1 1/4 cups of mayonnaise to the bowl and mix thoroughly until well incorporated.

Season with white pepper and salt to taste. Mix again.

Cover the tuna salad and refrigerate overnight. This is the most important step for developing the authentic deli flavor.

After refrigerating, check the consistency. If it's too wet, crush a few crackers into a fine powder and mix them in to absorb the excess liquid.

Adjust the seasoning again if needed with more salt or celery salt.

Lightly brush both sides of two slices of rye bread with olive oil.

Toast the bread in a pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until lightly golden.

Place the toasted bread on a baking sheet, top with slices of American cheese, and broil for 1-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Assemble the sandwich by layering sliced tomatoes on one piece of the cheesy bread, followed by a generous scoop of the prepared tuna salad. Top with the second piece of bread.

For a classic deli experience, wrap the sandwich tightly in parchment paper before cutting it in half to serve.