3 Ways To Transform Canned Tuna Into An Elevated Appetizer

Feeding your guests is both the hallmark of hospitality and a potential source of stress. Usually, we spend most of our time contemplating the main dish, perfecting the recipe, and figuring out an aesthetic way to serve it. Then there's dessert, which, of course, has to look immaculate. Although they are served first, we usually think of appetizers last — until it's time to actually make them, and then we find ourselves panicking. Tasting Table spoke to Ed Cotton, chef and partner at Jack & Charlie's and Leonetta in New York City. We asked him for three sophisticated appetizer ideas if all we had to work with was a can of tuna.

"You could make mini tuna melts using canned tuna. That could be a fun idea," Cotton said. There are two ways you could approach this appetizer. One is to go with open-faced tuna melts. Start by cutting your toast bread into smaller pieces to use as a base — look to our smoked Gouda pimento chicken salad toast bites for inspiration. Once you've cut them, gently toast the bread pieces in the oven. Once cooled, top them with creamy tuna salad and cheese of choice. Put back in the oven to broil, just to melt the cheese.

Your second options include tuna melts that are closer to the traditional sandwich and our tuna melt panini. Take a French baguette and slice it into canapé-style pieces. Sandwich the tuna salad and cheese between two pieces of bread and grill on a well-buttered pan.

Depending on the main dish you're planning to serve to your guests later, perhaps the idea of tuna melts feels too heavy for your appetizers. According to Cotton, "Another idea would be tuna salad stuffed inside a cucumber cup." Crunchy green goddess tuna salad is our favorite pick for this appetizer to make it feel a bit more lush. If you can, opt for oil-packed fish when making tuna salad for a smoother texture and fuller flavor. For the cups, cut the cucumber into slices with a thickness of about an inch or two. Scoop out the middle with a spoon, a mini cookie scoop – even small teaspoon measurers will do. Just make sure you don't take out the entire center — you want to leave some cucumber at the bottom so that it creates a nice, round cup. Fill it with the tuna salad, top with garnish, and the appetizer is ready.

Chef Cotton's final idea was to make canned tuna ceviche — another super refreshing dish that won't fill up your guests too much before the main meal. While the classic ceviche recipe features raw fish that's marinated in acid for a few hours, we're cutting some corners here. Use chunky canned tuna, mix it with the rest of the ceviche ingredients you're planning to use (don't skimp on cilantro), and then chill it for five to ten minutes before serving.