Tag: tuna

Old-Fashioned Tuna Souffle

Tuna Souffle

I recently came across a hundred-year-old recipe for Tuna Souffle, and decided to try it. The recipe called for separating the eggs and stiffly beating the egg whites, then folding them into a white sauce and tuna mixture which is baked.

The Tuna Souffle was tasty. When I made this recipe, the tuna became the bottom layer of the souffle. It was topped by a light souffle topping. My husband said it was “good” which is a high compliment from him.

Here is the original recipe:

Recipe for Tuna Souffle
Source: Pennsylvania State Grange Cook Book (1926)

I used one can of tuna when I made this recipe. That is less tuna than the original recipe called for, but the recipe turned out fine. The size of tuna cans have decreased over the years. I think that a can of tuna in 1926 may have contained about 1 cup of tuna. Today, many cans of tuna contain 5 ounces, which is less than 1 cup.

The recipe called for a “hot” oven. I interpreted this to mean 400° F.

Tuna SouffleHere’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Tuna Souffle

  • Servings: 2 - 3
  • Difficulty: moderate
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2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1 can (approximately 5 ounce) tuna

3 eggs, separated

Step 1. Preheat oven to 400° F.

Step 2. Melt the butter in a skillet using medium heat. Stir in the flour and salt, then gradually add the milk while stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cooking until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add tuna, flake and stir to combine.

Step 3. Put egg yolks in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Place a small amount (approximately 1 – 2 tablespoons) of hot mixture into dish with egg yolk, stir quickly. (The egg is first combined with a little of the hot mixture to prevent it from turning into scrambled eggs when introduced into the hot combination.)  Add egg mixture to the remaining hot mixture in the saucepan; stir. Set aside.

Step 4. Put egg whites in a bowl; beat until stiff peaks form.

Step 5. Fold the beaten egg whites into the tuna mixture.

Step 6. Pour into a 1-quart baking dish. Put into the oven and bake until set and lightly browned (about 30 minutes.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Tuna Salad

tuna salad

I hadn’t had Tuna Salad in years, but I was immediately drawn to a Tuna Salad recipe in a hundred-year-old cookbook. The old recipe brought back warm memories of lunches with friends and family where Tuna Salad was a prominent part of the meal.

The recipe did not disappoint. The recipe made a classic tuna salad, and was very quick and easy to make.

Here’s the original recipe:

Tuna salad recipe
General Welfare Guild Cook Book (Compiled by the General Welfare Guild, Beaver Valley General Hospital, New Brighton, PA; 1923)

The recipe called for “one small cup chopped celery or cucumber.” When I made the recipe, I assumed that a “small cup” was the equivalent of a 6-ounce tea cup – or about 3/4 cup. I used enough mayonnaise to bind the other ingredients together – about 1/4 cup. And, I skipped the extra mayonnaise garnish.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Tuna Salad

  • Servings: 3 - 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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2  5-ounce cans tuna

3/4 cup celery or cucumber, chopped (I used celery.)

2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup mayonnaise

Put the tuna in a bowl, and use a fork to flake. Add celery or cucumber, onion, and mayonnaise; stir to combine. If desired, serve on lettuce leaves.

http://www.ahundredyearsago.com

Old-fashioned Creamed Tuna Fish

At my house all the holiday baking is done (and has been consumed), and I’m ready to put up my feet and relax. To me this means that it’s time to make simple, basic, comfort foods like Creamed Tuna Fish.

The hundred-year-old recipe that I found for Creamed Tuna Fish only had two ingredients: tuna fish and white sauce. My updated version has four since I listed the ingredients in the white sauce.

Here’s the original recipe:

Source: The Housewife’s Cook Book by Lilla Frich (1917)

Creamed Tuna Fish is wonderful when served on toast, and it hits the spot after all the heavy holiday meals.

Here’s the recipe updated for modern cooks:

Creamed Tuna Fish

  • Servings: 2 - 3
  • Difficulty: easy
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1 can tuna

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter. While stirring constantly, slowly pour in milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk.  Stir in the tuna and bring back to a boil; remove from heat.  Serve over toast, biscuits, rice, etc.