Canned tuna might not be a flashy culinary menu item today but in the early days of Disneyland, it was a menu staple at the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant in Fantasyland. From tuna boats and tuna salads you could find a few different ways to enjoy the fishy dish but if you want a real flavor flashback, you can enjoy this recipe for the signature Tuna Burger, courtesy of Disney.
Recipe makes 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 (9 oz.) can tuna
- 1 tablespoon chopped onion
- 1⁄4 cup chopped celery
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise, divided
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- Sweet pickle slices, to taste
- 4 unsliced hamburger buns
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Combine tuna, onion, celery, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons mayonnaise in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise and ketchup in a small bowl; set aside.
- Slice bun horizontally into three equal slices. Spread bottom layer with mayonnaise-ketchup mixture, then top with sweet pickle slices.
- Make a double decker with middle bun slice and tuna. Repeat for remaining sandwiches. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.
About Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant
Chicken of the Sea might have been the sponsor of the tuna-slinging eatery but its name coincidentally pulled double duty making fun of the pirate ship’s owner… Captain Hook, himself — the biggest chicken of the seas in Never Land!
From August 29, 1955, guests could visit the location which included a beautiful skull rock recreation just like the one seen in the animated feature PETER PAN. The location changed names in 1969 to Captain Hook’s Galley before ultimately being removed in 1982 to make way for a relocated Dumbo: The Flying Elephant attraction in the renovated “New Fantasyland.”
