Creamed Tuna and Vegetables ala King

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• Yield: serves 6
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• Ingredients for the veloute sauce:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher or sea salt, to taste
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• Remaining ingredients:
• 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stems removed and caps sliced
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed sliced thin, on the diagonal
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 2 ½ to 3 cups very warm veloute sauce
• 1 large roasted pimento, seeded and chopped
• 2 cups thawed frozen peas
• 24 ounces (two 12-ounce cans) canned tuna, drained and flaked into chunks
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives, plus more for garnish
• Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Accompaniment: Cooked rice or egg noodles and fresh biscuits

1. To make the veloute sauce: Melt the butter in a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium heat and, when hot and bubbling, stir in the flour. Continue to cook the “roux,” stirring constantly, just to remove the raw taste of flour, but without allowing the flour to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the broth, cream and thyme and bring to a brisk simmer, uncovered, whisking occasionally to fully disperse the roux throughout the liquid. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, then season with salt, to taste, and keep over a very low flame (or turn off, for now, and put the cover ajar).
   
   
2. To sauté the vegetables: Heat a 12-inch, deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat and, when hot, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the fat is hot, raise the heat to high, add the mushrooms and cook them, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the 2 tablespoons of butter, reduce the heat to medium and add the leeks and celery and cook until the leeks and celery are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a brisk bubble, and cook the vegetables with the wine for a minute or two, over medium heat. Stir in the sauce, the pimento and peas and reheat until bubbling. Add the tuna and half the chives and heat until the mixture is piping hot, over medium-low heat, with the cover ajar . While reheating, occasionally shimmy the pan to redistribute the ingredients (trying to keep the tuna as textural as possible).
   
   
3. To serve: When piping hot, season with more salt and pepper and garnish the top with the remaining chives. Serve with freshly cooked rice and fresh biscuits.

• Time Management Tips
• • The sauce can be made a couple of hours ahead and kept, at a comfortable room temperature until ready to reheat.
• • Cooking the vegetables (through adding the pimento and peas) can be sautéed a couple of hours ahead and left out at a comfortable room temperature.