Ina Garten's Secret Ingredient Mayonnaise For Flavor-Bomb Tuna Melts

Culinary icon Ina Garten has a secret ingredient she adds to her mayonnaise to up the flavor of her tuna melts, and it's somewhat controversial. The Barefoot Contessa squeezes in a bit of anchovy paste, and you should follow her lead when it comes to this underappreciated condiment. It's umami-rich, deliciously salty, and although it does have a fishy taste on its own, when combined with other ingredients, the fishiness fades into the background while still delivering a flavor boost to your recipes, as is the case with Garten's tuna melt.

She calls them her "ultimate tuna melts," and the recipe comes from her 2020 bestselling cookbook, "Modern Comfort Food." Garten, on an episode of the Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa," forestalls any complaints about adding anchovy paste to the recipe. "I know, I know, there are a lot of people who don't like anchovy paste, but it just gives a little extra depth of flavor and you don't know it's anchovies," she said.

In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to detect the anchovies in this sandwich at all since the deluxe melt also includes nutty Emmental cheese and Garten's go-to canned tuna. (In "Modern Comfort Food," she shouts out the line-caught yellowfin tuna in extra virgin olive oil from Conservas Ortiz, a 100-plus-year-old company from Biscay, Spain, though in her video demonstration, she recommends seeking out any imported jarred tuna.) With such high-quality and flavorful ingredients, the savory anchovy paste plays an essential but supporting role.

Anchovy paste is an easy-to-use product since it often comes in a squeeze tube, and, because it's a smooth paste, it seamlessly mixes into whatever you combine it with. Still not convinced? If you've ever enjoyed a Caesar salad, it's likely that it had anchovy paste or minced anchovies as an ingredient. And Ina Garten isn't the only celebrity chef who swears by the tiny briny fish: Anchovy oil is one of Giada De Laurentiis' favorite pantry staples – she uses it in sauces and stews, and also drizzles it on bread. You could use it in your tuna melt, but note that it's closer to fish sauce in taste and texture (though oilier, natch).

A little anchovy paste goes a long way. Garten's tuna melt recipe only calls for adding a teaspoon of the stuff to ¾ cups of store-bought mayonnaise, which she mixes with tuna, celery, scallions, fresh lemon juice, and dill. While she opts for store-bought toasted white bread, you can make an even more unforgettable tuna melt with a simple bread swap to English muffins. Their crunchy exterior contrasts nicely with the creamy tuna filling and melted Emmental cheese. Whether you switch out the bread for English muffins or not, don't skip out on adding anchovy paste to the mayonnaise for your next tuna melts. They won't be nearly as flavorful without it.