Tuna Fishcakes with Lightly Spiced Mayonnaise Recipe

This is one of my children’s favorite meals, so it is something I make fairly often, and it is one of the easiest tuna fishcake recipes I know. Yesterday, I posted a recipe for loaded potato skins and I wrote a note that you shouldn’t waste the insides of the potatoes as you can use them for many other dishes. I used mine to create the tuna fishcakes that are photographed here.

However, I have written the recipe in the way I make the fishcakes when I do not have leftover potato flesh making mashed potatoes from scratch. If you are using leftovers, then simply skip that part of the recipe and move straight on to the stage where you are combining the potatoes with the other ingredients.

These fishcakes are good for those on a budget and really simple to make. However, it can get a little messy assembling them, but this is why my kids love cooking these with me. You can serve them one fishcake each for a starter. Alternatively, give each person two for their main course. Here is an easy recipe for tuna fishcakes with lightly spiced mayonnaise. This makes enough for eight fishcakes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves: 8 individual portions, 4 main course servings
Vegetarian/ vegan: NO
Dairy-free: No
Gluten-free: NO

Ingredients for Easy Tuna Fishcakes

• 6 large white potatoes
• 2 tins of tuna
• 2 packets of ready salted crisps, crushed
• 1 200g tin sweetcorn
• 2 eggs
• 5 tbsp plain flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Ingredients for Lightly Spiced Mayonnaise

• 8 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

How to Make Easy Tuna Fishcakes

Preparation

1. Peel the potatoes and quarter them.
2. Add to a pan of salted boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes or until soft.
3. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan but not over the heat.
4. Mash the potatoes with either a masher or a fork.
5. Then, put the mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl and leave to cool for ten minutes.
6. Drain the tins of tuna and sweetcorn thoroughly.
7. Add both the tuna and the sweetcorn to the potato.
8. Using a fork, work the potato, tuna, and sweetcorn together.
9. Beat one of the eggs in a cup or bowl and then add to the tuna and potato mix.
10. Stir the beaten egg into the mixture as this will help to bind the ingredients together.
11. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir through again.

Building and Cooking the Tuna Fishcakes

1. Divide the mixture into eight balls and press into patties on your work surface.
2. Put them on a baking tray and transfer to the refrigerator for ten minutes. This will prevent them from falling apart when you are adding the coating.
3. While the fishcakes are in the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4.
4. Next, beat the second egg in a small bowl.
5. Add the flour to a side plate and season with black pepper.
6. Crush the packets of ready salted crisps and then put half of them onto a side plate.
7. Remove your fishcakes from the refrigerator.
8. One at a time, dip them on both sides in the seasoned flour first, then into the beaten egg, and finally pat them onto the crushed crisps.
9. As each one is coated, put it back on the baking tray.
10. Repeat this until all the fishcakes are coated. When you have run out of crisps, simply add the other two bags fo crushed crisps to the plate. If you have crisps leftover in the bowl, then pat the crumbs into the top of the fishcakes.
11. Put the baking tray in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the top of the fishcakes is turning golden.
12. Remove from the oven and turn the fishcakes over with a flatfish lift.
13. Return to the oven for a further ten minutes, or until the fishcakes are golden and crunchy on both sides. 

How to Make Lightly Spiced Mayonnaise

1. While the tuna fishcakes are cooking, spoon the mayonnaise into a bowl.
2. Then, add the chilli powder and smoked paprika. Stir in well.
3. Finally, serve the fishcakes with a side salad and a generous dollop of lightly spiced mayonnaise.

Tips for Making Easy Tuna Fishcakes

• If you are watching your salt intake and you are worried that ready salted crisps contain too much salt, then consider replacing this ingredient with breadcrumbs.
• A healthier option is to use wholewheat or wholegrain breadcrumbs to coat your tuna fishcakes.
• Another alternative is to create a crispy coating is to add panko crumbs.
• If your tuna fishcake mixture is a little loose and you are struggling to shape the fishcakes, then return them to the refrigerator for a while longer as this will firm up the mixture and make it easier to shape the tuna fishcakes.
• Experiment with alternatives to sweetcorn to create recipes to suit your own tastes.
• Those who do not like spice can leave their mayonnaise plain or add a squeeze of lemon.