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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, April 18, 2007

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Casserole with tuna — my way

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Columnist

 •  Pot stickers in a pan

A while back I was telling my sister-in-law, who lives in Kansas, about Coral tuna — how, in my childhood, we probably ate tuna three or four times a week and it was always Coral brand, which was then canned here. I told her how, when I was researching The Advertiser 150th anniversary cookbook, Coral tuna was featured in a recipe almost every week during the 1950s and '60s.

These days, a lot of people are excited about the canned wahoo from the South Pacific; it's got great texture and excellent flavor.

Later, she sent me a recipe for a tuna casserole that her mother makes, saying she'd never had much luck with it. Made with a white sauce and whole eggs, it's supposed to set rather like a souffle, though not as light, of course. When I first tested the recipe, it wasn't all that interesting with only salt and pepper for flavoring. "Onions and capers," my husband said. "Parsley," I said. I also tinkered with the white-sauce proportions and added an additional egg.

Here's my version.

KANSAS BAKED TUNA CASSEROLE

  • 1/2 cup chopped onion

  • 5 tablespoons margarine or butter

  • 1/3 cup flour

  • 3 1/2 cups milk (nonfat is fine)

  • 1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper (or less, to taste)

  • 3 eggs, beaten

  • 2 (6-ounce) cans wahoo or tuna, drained

  • 3 tablespoons capers, drained, rinsed and chopped

  • 1/4 cup minced parsley

    In a small saute pan, bring a tablespoon of water to a boil and water-saute the onion until it is limp and translucent. Set aside.

    In a larger saute pan over medium-high heat, melt margarine or butter. Whisk in flour and allow to cook for a minute or so. Gradually pour in milk, stirring. Bring to a boil, stirring to prevent burning or sticking; all sauce to cook, simmering gently for 10 minutes, until thickened. Stir in salt and pepper. Remove white sauce from the heat and pour into casserole dish. Stir in beaten eggs. Add tuna, capers and parsley and stir to spread evenly through the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Serves 4-6.

  • Per serving (based on 4 servings): 430 calories, 27 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 215 mg cholesterol, 1200 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 33 g protein

    Send recipes and queries to Wanda A. Adams, Food Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.

    For more information about our 150th anniversary cookbook, call 535-8189 (message phone; your call will be returned). You can order the cookbook online.