Grilled Tuna Club with Bacon, Tomato, Arugula, and Herb Mayonnaise on Focaccia

This is a showy, marvelous combination. It takes time to prepare, but as everyone knows who loves club sandwiches, it is worth every minute of cooking and cutting. The truth is that none of it is difficult, and most of it is fun. We selected focaccia, a flatbread originally from Genoa, as the vehicle of choice here. Sliced horizontally through the middle, it is sturdy enough to hold a whole lot of ingredients and absorb juices and sauces without falling apart. It also has a chewiness that is superb.

This recipe calls for grilled tuna. If you are not planning to use your grill, cook your tuna under the broiler. You can also pan-sear it if your kitchen has good ventilation. Either way, it is a matter of quickly searing the tuna, using intense heat to create a crust while the inside remains rare as you would do with a charbroiled beefsteak.