What did I do wrong?

Post by MG
I made tuna mornay tonight, but for some reason, got a weird mess instead of
the nice creamy version I usually make...I use a can of drained tuna, a
small can of drained sweet corn, quantity of cheese sauce, mix together,
place in oven-proof bowl, top with grated cheese and bake for 30mins until
golden on top
the result was a clump of mornay, no apparent white/cheese sauce, and a
watery residue (lots of it)...this has happened a couple of times in the
past, and I've never been able to work out what the problem was, or what
caused it
does anyone know what would cause this phenomenon, and how it might be
prevented?

Could be oven was too hot and curdled the cheese sauce. Was it made from
scratch or pre-prepared?

2008-04-24 13:35:06 UTC

Post by canetoad

Post by MG
I made tuna mornay tonight, but for some reason, got a weird mess instead
of the nice creamy version I usually make...I use a can of drained tuna,
a small can of drained sweet corn, quantity of cheese sauce, mix
together, place in oven-proof bowl, top with grated cheese and bake for
30mins until golden on top
the result was a clump of mornay, no apparent white/cheese sauce, and a
watery residue (lots of it)...this has happened a couple of times in the
past, and I've never been able to work out what the problem was, or what
caused it
does anyone know what would cause this phenomenon, and how it might be
prevented?

Could be oven was too hot and curdled the cheese sauce. Was it made from
scratch or pre-prepared?

everything made from scratch canetoad, and placed in a 170 degC oven for
about 20-25 mins

"Michael" @hotmail.com>

2008-04-24 13:52:09 UTC

It might be poor quality tuna that is really soaked, or even injected with
water, like they do with cheap bacon. When you cook it, maybe that water is
being released. Perhaps giving the tuna a really good squeeze will help.
Corn has a very high water content too.

When you say a clump of Mornay, do you mean clumps of tuna, because Mornay
is the name of the cheese sauce? How do you make your bechamel and what
kind of cheese do you add to it?

2008-04-24 15:27:42 UTC

I made a white sauce/béchamel from scratch, I don't measure quantities of
butter, flour, milk etc, but I used approx 3 cups milk

after cooking and thickening, I added perhaps a handful of grated matured
cheese (generic type) and 2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan

to this I added the drained tuna, drained sweet corn (niblets?) stirred
lightly, then placed in dish, placed a little more parmesan on the top,
baked in 170 deg C oven for 20-25 mins

the "clump" seemed to be consisted of just sort of "dry" tuna (not really
dry, just almost like it had just been drained), ie no sauce at all to bind
it together

the tuna was John West tuna in spring water
the corn was Edgell super sweet corn (medium can)

I drained them both for the time it took to cook the mornay sauce...maybe 15
mins or so?

thanks for responding all

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It might be poor quality tuna that is really soaked, or even injected with
water, like they do with cheap bacon. When you cook it, maybe that water is
being released. Perhaps giving the tuna a really good squeeze will help.
Corn has a very high water content too.
When you say a clump of Mornay, do you mean clumps of tuna, because Mornay
is the name of the cheese sauce? How do you make your bechamel and what
kind of cheese do you add to it?

Phred

2008-04-25 01:21:42 UTC

Post by MG
I made a white sauce/béchamel from scratch, I don't measure quantities of
butter, flour, milk etc, but I used approx 3 cups milk
after cooking and thickening, I added perhaps a handful of grated matured
cheese (generic type) and 2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan
to this I added the drained tuna, drained sweet corn (niblets?) stirred
lightly, then placed in dish, placed a little more parmesan on the top,
baked in 170 deg C oven for 20-25 mins
the "clump" seemed to be consisted of just sort of "dry" tuna (not really
dry, just almost like it had just been drained), ie no sauce at all to bind
it together
the tuna was John West tuna in spring water

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

Post by MG
the corn was Edgell super sweet corn (medium can)
I drained them both for the time it took to cook the mornay sauce...maybe 15
mins or so?

Post by "Michael" @hotmail.com>
It might be poor quality tuna that is really soaked, or even injected with
water, like they do with cheap bacon. When you cook it, maybe that water
is being released. Perhaps giving the tuna a really good squeeze will help.
Corn has a very high water content too.
When you say a clump of Mornay, do you mean clumps of tuna, because Mornay
is the name of the cheese sauce? How do you make your bechamel and what
kind of cheese do you add to it?

Post by MG
I made tuna mornay tonight, but for some reason, got a weird mess instead
of the nice creamy version I usually make...I use a can of drained tuna, a
small can of drained sweet corn, quantity of cheese sauce, mix together,
place in oven-proof bowl, top with grated cheese and bake for 30mins
until golden on top
the result was a clump of mornay, no apparent white/cheese sauce, and a
watery residue (lots of it)...this has happened a couple of times in the
past, and I've never been able to work out what the problem was, or what
caused it
does anyone know what would cause this phenomenon, and how it might be
prevented?

Cheers, Phred.

--
***@THISyahoo.com.INVALID

2008-04-25 03:39:16 UTC

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

then why does this not happen every time?

sometimes it will come out perfect, other times, as above

thanks for replying :)

Hoges in WA

2008-04-25 07:50:30 UTC

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

then why does this not happen every time?
sometimes it will come out perfect, other times, as above
thanks for replying :)

What Phred said made sense to me though I am not sure why it would be the
case.
Please continue with this as I am intrigued as to what the answer will be,
even though I can't offer any possible solutions to assist you.

Phred

2008-04-26 09:36:24 UTC

Post by Hoges in WA

Post by MG
I made a white sauce/béchamel from scratch, I don't measure quantities of
butter, flour, milk etc, but I used approx 3 cups milk
after cooking and thickening, I added perhaps a handful of grated matured
cheese (generic type) and 2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan
to this I added the drained tuna, drained sweet corn (niblets?) stirred
lightly, then placed in dish, placed a little more parmesan on the top,
baked in 170 deg C oven for 20-25 mins
the "clump" seemed to be consisted of just sort of "dry" tuna (not really
dry, just almost like it had just been drained), ie no sauce at all to
bind it together
the tuna was John West tuna in spring water

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

then why does this not happen every time?
sometimes it will come out perfect, other times, as above
thanks for replying :)

I must admit my motivation for replying was largely just being
naughty. (I don't like those fish things in spring water; not only
because I have some concern over their long-term wholesomeness stored
in water, but also because they taste foul! :-)

However, it also occurred to me that if the tuna is saturated in water
it may be harder to get an oily sauce to stick to it. Whether a sauce
based on butter/milk/cheese would really be "oily" enough to have the
effect of not wanting to mix with water, I don't know. But, as
someone else implied in this thread, if you get enough variation in
the sauce you are making you may strike some variants that cause
problems such as you've experienced.

Cheers, Phred.

--
***@THISyahoo.com.INVALID

FarmI

2008-04-25 12:38:51 UTC

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

then why does this not happen every time?
sometimes it will come out perfect, other times, as above

I use tuna in water when I make tuna mornay - never tuna in oil. Mine has
never come out as you describe it and I can't think why it would. I think my
sauce would be of a thicker consistency than you describe, but then that is
even more likely to result in your dryness prob, but hasn't ever done so (or
at least so far anyway) but I don't add corn - wonder if that oculd
contribute to it (but don't see why).

2008-04-25 13:53:46 UTC

Post by FarmI

That's the problem. Tuna is supposed to be tinned in *oil*. :-)

then why does this not happen every time?
sometimes it will come out perfect, other times, as above

I use tuna in water when I make tuna mornay - never tuna in oil. Mine has
never come out as you describe it and I can't think why it would. I think
my sauce would be of a thicker consistency than you describe, but then
that is even more likely to result in your dryness prob, but hasn't ever
done so (or at least so far anyway) but I don't add corn - wonder if that
oculd contribute to it (but don't see why).

I know, it's so bizarre...this has happened both with and without the corn,
that's why I wondered if there might be some other factor

the mornay sauce was pretty thick, thick enough to almost stay on a wooden
spoon upside down, lol

I too have never made it with tuna canned in oil, only either in brine or
springwater...either makes no difference to the end result as well

<getting more and more perplexed>

Fred

2008-04-25 10:43:04 UTC