This is not the tuna sandwich of your childhood, but it hits all the right notes: richness from the oily tuna, starchy goodness from the chickpeas, bitterness from the arugula, a little tang from the artichoke hearts, and a hell of a tang from the Herbed Lemon Confit (page 4). If you don’t have some of the latter in your refrigerator, store-bought preserved lemon slices will do.

　　

Ingredients

2 thick slices rustic-style bread

　　1 (2.8-ounce) can top-quality imported Italian or Spanish solid tuna in olive oil

　　1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, preferably homemade (page 47), rinsed and drained

　　Kosher or sea salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　4 marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

　　2 tablespoons packed baby arugula leaves, stacked, rolled, and thinly sliced

　　3 slices Herbed Lemon Confit (page 4), drained and chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven broiler with the rack set 4 to 5 inches away from the flame or element. Broil the bread until it is deep golden brown on just one side, 1 to 2 minutes, and transfer to a serving plate, toasted side up.

　　

Step 2

Drain the tuna, squeezing the oil out of it into a small bowl.

　　

Step 3

Toss the chickpeas into a small bowl and pour 2 teaspoons of oil from the tuna over them. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and use a fork to mash the chickpeas into the oil. If the mixture seems too dry for your taste, add a little of the marinade from the artichoke hearts.

　　

Step 4

To assemble the sandwich, spread the chickpeas onto the toasted side of one of the pieces of bread; top with the arugula, artichoke hearts, lemon confit, and tuna. Top with the other slice of bread, toasted side facing inward, gently press the sandwich with your hand, cut in half, and eat.

　　Reprinted with permission from Serve Yourself: Nightly Adventures in Cooking for One by Joe Yonan. Text copyright © 2011 by Joe Yonan; photographs copyright © 2011 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.Joe Yonan is the food and travel editor at the Washington Post, where he writes the award-winning "Cooking for One" column. Joe's work also earned the Post the 2009 and 2010 James Beard Foundation's award for best food section. He is the former travel editor at the Boston Globe. Visit www.joeyonan.com.