Lemony Tuna Cakes
Our line of work has affected our children in many ways, but one notable one is their indifference when hearing what’s for dinner. You can’t surprise them! We are constantly testing new recipes, which means we don’t often get to go back to old favorites as much as we’d like. When they asked me what was for dinner while testing this recipe, I finally surprised them. “Cakes...made out of tuna? Mom, are you sure?” Of course, I had to explain the existence of crab cakes, which they’ve never encountered and finally resorted to calling them tuna burgers. I stand by the cake misnomer however because these remind me of the best crab cakes, but made for a fraction of the price. I love mine drenched in the sauce, so don’t skimp on that!
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
Tuna Cakes:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
4 garlic cloves, grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely diced
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons salt
pepper to taste
5 (5 ounce) cans of tuna
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup flour of choice
Yogurt Dill Sauce:
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup high quality mayo (or sub all yogurt)
1/4 cup chopped dill
juice of 1/2 a lemon
a pinch of salt to taste
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, parsley, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, shallots, lemon zest and juice, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the tuna, breadcrumbs and flour and use a fork to break the tuna into flakes while stirring to combine. Using your hands, form the tuna mixture into 8 patties. Set aside.
Mix the yogurt dill sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Heat a wide skillet to medium heat and heat the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently place 4 patties in the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the underside is crisp and golden. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 4 patties. Serve with some simple roasted potatoes and sautéed veg with the yogurt dill sauce on the side. If you want to sell it as a “burger” you can serve it on a toasted bun with a smear of the sauce and some crisp lettuce. Either way, enjoy!
