A vintage recipe from The Pacifica House Hawaii Cook Book, 1965
The recipe for Coconut Tuna seems fairly ordinary at first, a list of ingredients and then directions for white sauce – shortening (I used butter), flour, milk – that will serve as a base for the canned tuna, pineapple and pimento. Pretty typical bland Mid Century fare likely hoping the addition of pineapple will add a touch of tropical exotica to dinnertime.
It’s the next sentence that provides the eye-opener: “Sandpaper off rough fiber of coconut shells and saw in half crosswise.” That seemed like a lot of trouble to me. Then I found myself wondering exactly how June Cleaver with her pearls and manicure would have managed sandpaper and a saw. My method was to first use the point of a sturdy knife to pierce the coconut eyes so the coconut water could drain out. Then, armed with a microplane rasp, the next step was to smooth away a bit of the “rough fiber.” A good twenty minutes later, I was happy not to be using sandpaper on the still-rough coconut.
Rather than drag out the saw, I whacked the coconut a few times along its equator with the reverse, unsharp, non-cutting side of a 12″ chef’s knife for two coconut halves while wearing a heavy glove-type potholder for protection. The tuna/pineapple filling went into these and then into the oven for browning. After a few minutes, my son remarked on the “unusual” aroma of canned fish and fruit baking.
The coconut shell was a novel way to serve what was basically creamed tuna. It might have provided a tropical touch at the Cleaver’s dinner table. But how did it taste? I think I can safely say I won’t ever need to prepare this recipe again.
Coconut Tuna
3 Tbsp shortening
6 Tbsp flour
3 cups milk
2 7-oz. cans tuna, flaked
1 Tbsp pimiento, cut into strips
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
1 cup diced canned pineapple
3 coconuts
Make a white sauce with the shortening, flour and milk. Add remaining ingredients (except coconut) and mix well. Sandpaper off rough fiber of coconut shells and saw in half crosswise. Fill the halves with tuna mixture, place in shallow baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Garnish with a spring of parsley or watercress.
– from The Pacifica House Hawaii Cook Book, 1965
wow, I have never heard of that dish! What an interesting concept, too bad it wasn’t as tasty as it is novel!
Apparently coconut and pineapple, along with Tiki style decor, were quite exotic during the Mad Men era.
This is brilliant! Great recipe 🙂
At the time was probably considered quite exotic!
Maybe I should have added one of those tiny paper parasols as a background prop!
That is hilarious! I collect vintage cookbooks, but usually only for the nostalgia value. Very rarely have I tried a recipe because they all look too scary! You are brave:)
Thanks Bobbi. In my other life, I’m a food and prop stylist and graphic designer, which is why I have many amazing vintage dishes around. I love looking at vintage cookbooks and reading the recipes.
Too funny! Reminded me of the first time we tried to neatly open a coconut. Since, we go more for the “hack it to pieces with a machete” approach!
@Miri – I think you’re right!