John's Tunafish Sandwich

1 whole baguette
3 Hardboiled Eggs (recipe follows)
Marinated Roasted Peppers(recipe follows)
1 cup arugula leaves or one bunch watercress
¼ c Niçoise, Alfonso or Kalamata olives, pitted
A few slices of red onion, cut into half moons
¼ c cherry tomatoes (preferably Sweet 100s) cut in half
4T good quality mayonnaise
1 jar 7.8 oz Ortiz oil-packed tuna (or other olive oil packed tuna)
2T Olive oil
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 4T fresh basil leaves



Marinated Roasted Peppers :
2 ripe red bell peppers
2T extra virgin olive oil
2t toasted fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1T chopped parsley
1/2t red chili flakes
zest of ½ a lemon
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375f. Rinse the peppers, pat dry and cut in half through the stem. Remove seeds and ribs and brush with 2t of the oil . Season with salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes or until the skin is slightly blackened and blistered. While still hot, place peppers in a plastic bag or a small mixing bowl covered with plastic wrap. Cool. With the aid of a small paring knife, remove the skins .
Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Refrigerate for up to three days.


Hardboiled Eggs:
Place the eggs in a small pot, add cold water to cover by one inch, add a pinch of salt , and bring to a simmer. Simmer two minutes, turn of the heat , cover the pot and set the pot off the stove for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs and plunge into cold water . When the eggs are cold to the touch , peel , rinse and slice each egg into 5 or 6 slices. Season with salt and pepper.




To assemble the sandwich:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut baguette in half horizontally. Remove a little bit of the crumb from the top half of the loaf and discard.Toast the bread into golden brown. Cool the bread slightly and spread the mayo on the bottom half of the sandwich.
In a small mixing bowl, toss together the arugula, onion,olives, and tomato with the oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper.


Drain the tuna from the oil, leaving a little oil adhering to the tuna for moisture , and season with a little bit of salt and pepper.
Layer the peppers on top of the bread, followed by the tuna, the eggs and the salad mixture. Place the top half of the bread on top of the sandwich. Cut the baguette into 4-6 pieces. Serve immediately.