Herbie Creative Recipes

Open-Face Smoked Trout Melt with Pickles, Capers, and Optional Corn Nut Crunch

Name: Open-Face Smoked Trout Melt with Pickles, Capers, and Optional Corn Nut Crunch: Air Fryer Open-Face Smoked Trout or Tuna Melt with Pickle, Caper, and Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 open-face melts
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tin Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout, or high-quality oil-packed tuna; 2 slices white bread; 1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise; 1 tbsp dill pickle, finely chopped, plus more for finishing; 1/2 to 1 tsp capers, drained and roughly chopped; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp finely chopped pickled pepper, optional; 1/4 tsp lemon zest, plus more for finishing; Freshly cracked black pepper; Tiny pinch red pepper flakes; About 1/2 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, or a mix); 1 to 2 tsp butter or oil from the fish tin; 1 to 2 tbsp salted corn nuts, roughly crushed

Air Fryer Open-Face Smoked Trout or Tuna Melt with Pickle, Caper, and Cheese

Open-face white-bread melts with flaked smoked trout or tuna, mayo, pickle, and capers, air-fried under cheddar or Swiss, then finished with lemon and optional crushed corn nuts. Herbie used Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout.

Mains Appetizers Snacks American From Herbie 2 open-face melts Prep 10 min Cook 20 min Total 30 min

Created August 23, 2026 Last cooked August 27, 2026

5.0 (1 review)

Finished

Ingredients

Trout or tuna mixture and melts

1 tin Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout, or high-quality oil-packed tuna
2 slices white bread
1 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp dill pickle, finely chopped, plus more for finishing
1/2 to 1 tsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 to 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp finely chopped pickled pepper, optional
1/4 tsp lemon zest, plus more for finishing
Freshly cracked black pepper
Tiny pinch red pepper flakes
About 1/2 cup shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, Swiss, Gruyere, or a mix)
1 to 2 tsp butter or oil from the fish tin

Optional corn nut finish

1 to 2 tbsp salted corn nuts, roughly crushed

Instructions

Set the air fryer to 375°F on Air Fry.
Lightly brush each bread slice with butter or a little oil from the fish tin. Air fry about 2 minutes, just until the surface starts to crisp. Do not fully brown it yet.
Lift the trout or tuna from the tin and reserve some of the oil. Gently fold the fish with the mayonnaise, chopped pickle, capers, Dijon, 1 tsp lemon juice, optional pickled pepper, lemon zest, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Keep visible flakes. Taste, then add another teaspoon of lemon juice if it needs more brightness.

Prep
Put a thin layer of cheese on each toasted slice. Divide the fish mixture between the two pieces, then top generously with the remaining cheese.
Return to the air fryer at 375°F for 2 to 4 minutes, checking after 2 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted with a little browning, the bread edges are crisp, and the fish is warm but not dry.

Cooking
Finish immediately with more chopped pickle, a few capers, lemon zest, black pepper, a tiny squeeze of lemon, and a few drops of oil from the tin. If using corn nuts, crush them and sprinkle them on after the melt comes out. Do not air fry the corn nuts with the sandwich.

Finished Open-Face Smoked Trout Melt with Pickles, Capers, and Optional Corn Nut Crunch: Air Fryer Open-Face Smoked Trout or Tuna Melt with Pickle, Caper, and Cheese — Finished dish

Notes

Herbie used Fishwife Smoked Rainbow Trout. A high-quality smoked trout or a high-quality oil-packed tuna both work. Keep the fish in flakes, not a smooth salad. Save the oil from the tin.
If you add the corn nuts, use closer to 1/2 tsp capers in the mix. They are already salty.
Herbie also made a 400°F version with chopped celery, 2 tsp mayo, salt, pepper, capers, corn nuts mixed into the filling, and shredded Mexican-style cheese on already-crisp toast. Air fry 2 to 3 minutes, then finish with lemon.
For the dinner version, make Creamy Lemon Smoked Trout Pasta with Peas and Crispy Capers.

Reviews

5.0

1 review

5 stars 1
4 stars 0
3 stars 0
2 stars 0
1 star 0

Anonymous 2026-08-27

Open-face melt with pickle, caper, and molten cheese. The corn nut crunch is the move.