Source
r/Cooking•
ReducedToRubble

Replacement for canned tuna

I've been asked to make tuna noodle casserole tonight, but the problem is that I hate canned tuna. It's a terrible protein and really adds nothing to the dish in terms of flavor. Even updated "modern" recipes still use dry, flavorless tuna.

Any ideas? I'd like to retain the flaky texture of tuna so I was thinking that I could dice cod and let that bake in the casserole. However, that doesn't add a lot of flavor either. If there are any alternatives to them I would love to hear them.

Posted Oct 11, 2013, 2:31 PM UTC

2228
csbrown83•

Buy good tuna (Packed in olive oil is good, or better quality, like ortiz). Also you could buy fresh tuna, cook it, and use that. Salmon is also a good option, canned or fresh. Also, top it with chips: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/tuna_casserole/

34
bunsonh•

Ortiz is okay. Island Trollers is as good as it gets, IMO. Don't forget to use or drink the liquid! It's worthy of a champagne flute!

6
[deleted]•

Ew!

1
bunsonh•

You have clearly never tasted its magnificence. If you're imagining the sludge that comes out of a can of Starkist or Chicken of the Sea, you are severely off-mark.

6
[deleted]•

Don't know those brands. Danish.

2
jecahn•

I wish this got more votes. There's no comparison between Ortiz and what most people think of as "canned tuna."

3
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
virusporn•

Yep tuna in brine or spring water is dry. Tuna in olive oil isn't. Much better flavour, even in the cheap stuff.

2
ikmkim•

Just curious, why is tuna a terrible protein?

22
mrpopenfresh•

First I hear of this as well. I just checked nutrition data and the protein quality score si excellent and above.

8
Beeb294•

I'm assuming this comes from a textural and ease of use. OP is also probably not talking about fresh tuna.

Personally, I hate the texture and taste of canned fish. It makes me feel like I am eating wet sawdust and wood shavings.

Alton Brown said that the standard canned tuna is cooked as part of processing, and in order to cook it thoroughly, it ends up being massively overcooked. His suggestion was to use pouch tuna, as it is thinner, so it should be closer to properly cooked during processing.

7
dewprisms•

The pouch tuna is also often larger, more identifiable flakes.

1
jag0007•

real tuna

9
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
dewprisms•

But pay attention- in the US at least, most tuna steaks are ahi tuna. Canned tuna is always albacore. They have very different flavor/texture.

1
blackbutters•

Salmon is my favorite besides tuna. I suppose you could use fresh tuna though, it is much different from the canned variety.

4
apollorockit•

I would use canned salmon or the tuna that comes in a pouch. The tuna in a pouch is a little tastier because it doesn't have to be overcooked to store safely.

3
niyrex•

Why not take fresh tuna, cook it and use it that way?

3
[deleted]•

I'm surprised more people don't think of this. You can buy a chunk of albacore, poach it, and flake it, and it's delicious and more fresh.

1
dewprisms•

Make sure you actually get albacore, though. Most fresh seafood markets carry ahi tuna and not albacore, which is a very different taste and texture.

1
demulcent•

Since tuna is supposed to be the chicken of the sea, why not go with chopped chicken breast?

Tuna's a fairly strong flavor, so if you're using a fish substitute, I think cod would be too mild. A stronger-flavored fish like salmon, mackerel or sardine might be a better choice.

2
UNHDude•

Definitely canned salmon. So much better than canned tuna in every single way. I get rubenstein's red wild alaskan - it's definitely pricier than the pink but has a lot more flavor I think. I love drinking the juice when I open up a can :-) Whatever brand you get I'd definitely go for wild Alaskan (assuming you're in the US) because it's got less pollutants and it's a very well managed fishery. Farmed salmon pollutes a lot.

Sardines are good too but I find they don't go with as much stuff as salmon, I'm not sure if they'd be good in a casserole.

2
theuntamedshrew•

Tuna casserole is one of those things that if you are a person who craves it you are also craving the comfort of the expected. To me if I were making it for myself and I wasn't a fan of canned tuna I would look for a replacement. If I were making it for someone else at their request and I was looking to make them happy I would make the traditional dish.

2
Grimmloch•

Canned RED salmon, I emphasis the red. It is much better than the pink salmon.

1
Rhetor_Rex•

I'm a big fan of mixing a tin of sardines in with a can of desirable tuna, or just outright sardine casserole if salt's not an issue.

Slightly unrelated: A little bit of fish sauce or salted anchovies is a great way to bring a savory fish flavor to anything, and they both last forever.

1
KissTheFrogs•

Get some fresh salmon and use that.

1
PurpleAriadne•

Canned sardines have a similar texture and are really good for you

1
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1