Tuna Fishcakes

These fishcakes are super quick and easy to make, really tasty and if you're stuck at home with children during the COVID-19 pandemic as we are, they are a good activity to get the little ones involved in cooking. They're also a great store cupboard recipe, as much of what you will need, you are likely to have in the cupboard or fridge and whenever we have leftover mashed potato, fishcakes are inevitably on the menu the following day.

Tuna Fishcakes

Tinned tuna is actually a really good store cupboard ingredient for these times and in addition to the recipe for these Asian-style tuna fishcakes I've listed out a few other ideas below with the ingredients needed:

• Tuna Pasta Salad (uni style): Cooked fusilli pasta, mayo, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, sweetcorn, squeeze of lemon, black pepper

• Tuna Pasta Bake: a simple tomato sauce (onion, garlic, tinned tomatoes, dried herbs such as basil, rosemary or oregano and olive oil) stirred through the pasta with the tinned tuna, then put into an oven-proof dish and topped with a little cheese before baking

• Tuna Nicoise Salad: tinned tuna, boiled egg, tomatoes, lettuce, green beans, cooked new potatoes (or leftover roast or boiled potatoes), red onion, olives, anchovies

• Jacket Potato Topping or Sandwich filler: tuna, mayonnaise, tinned sweetcorn

• Tuna & Sweetcorn Frittata: A thick baked omelette made up of x3-4 eggs, sweetcorn, some fresh herbs if you have them (parsley or dill would work), a finely chopped pepper, red onion, a handful grated hard cheese (Cheddar, Red Leicester or Parmesan would work) and milk

The below served x4 of us for a lovely lunchtime meal served with a ribbon salad which is simply x2 carrots, and 1/2 a cucumber cut into ribbons using a vegetable peeler, drizzled with a tiny bit of soy and topped with some sesame seeds, as well as a variety of dipping sauces, one being just Sriracha, one a chipotle mayo (just mix together) and finally an Asian dipping sauce of soy, fish sauce, chilli oil, sesame oil and some fresh ginger. Sweet Chilli Sauce would work too.


Here's how:

• x2 tins tuna
• 1 red onion
• 3-4 tbsp leftover mashed potato
• 3cm piece of ginger
• Handful fresh coriander 
• 1 egg
• 1 slice of bread blitzed into breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Sesame oil to fry

Firstly pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and put a little sesame oil into a frying pan on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion, peel and finely chop or grate the ginger, and roughly chop the coriander and add to a mixing bowl.

To that bowl add the leftover mashed potato, the drained tuna, the fish sauce, soy sauce, sriracha, salt and pepper. Use a fork to roughly mix together. It should be a chunky texture so don't be tempted to use a hand blender here.

Now into a bowl crack one egg and beat and set aside.

Pop the breadcrumbs into another bowl, and finally add the flour to a third bowl. Add the Chinese Five Spice, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the flour and give a quick mix.

Now you're ready to assemble, get a chopping board or a plate to place each fishcake as it's formed ready.

Now go in with your hands and get about 1.5 tbsp of the mixture and roll into a firm ball, then place in the palm of one hand and lightly press down with the other to get it flatter and like a fishcake size and shape. 

Drop the formed fishcake into the flour then turn over, next dip into the beaten egg and finally toss into the breadcrumbs and then set on the board or plate and then repeat until all of the mixture is used up.

Now place about 4-5 of the fishcakes (depending on size) into the pan and allow them to brown for a few minutes, then use a tablespoon to gently turn over and cook the other side. I sometimes add a little oil to the pan using Fry Light at this stage so they're not too dry.

Once cooked through, remove the fishcakes and put onto a baking sheet and place into the oven to keep warm (nobody wants cold mash potato in anything!). Repeat the process and place the final fishcakes into the oven for five minutes before you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tuna Fishcakes