Tuna mornay

I must admit I have always liked tuna mornay. My mother made a particularly good one that had this crunch on top, but as a young man I could not work out, nor was I particularly concerned about, what it was made from. On learning she had picked up a Country Women's Association “kitchen hack” to use cornflakes on top, I was mortified. Her using cereal on our dinner seemed like something I might get teased about at school, should this information ever make it to the schoolyard.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Serves 4

Step 2

Melt 40 grams of the butter in a heavy-based pot, then toast the flour in the melted butter for a minute or so. Add the milk, then whisk and turn the temperature to low. Cook for about five minutes while whisking and stirring regularly to remove lumps and stop the béchamel sauce sticking to the pot.

Step 3

Heat the oil in another pot, then add the leek and onion and sweat this out until translucent.

Step 4

Boil the corn on the cob and, when cooked, cut the kernels from the cob and add them to the onion mix.

Step 5

Stir the béchamel sauce into this pot. Let it cool a little and then add the tuna, cheeses, dill, parsley and cayenne pepper. Taste this mixture and season with salt and pepper, making sure the cheese has melted through a little before seasoning. Tip the mixture into an ovenproof baking dish.

Step 6

Preheat your oven to 190ºC.

Step 7

Combine the cornflakes, remaining butter, polenta and paprika in a bowl. Mix with your hands until all is incorporated and the cornflakes have been crushed into smaller pieces. Sprinkle this over the top of the tuna mix and bake for 20 minutes.

Step 8

Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before sprinkling the top with freshly cut chives.