This is one of those recipes you can whip up with ingredients you probably already have in stock and it’s great if you have some mashed potato to use up. I browsed for a recipe online and fancied making Gordon Ramsay’s spiced tuna fishcakes but didn’t quite have all the ingredients so this is my version (with the mashed potato). I would have used spring onions if I had any, but used red onions instead. I wished I had some fresh ginger – I usually have some but I used up the last lot over the weekend. I did have fish sauce and kaffir lime leaves though and had enough ingredients for a basic dipping sauce.

It’s amazing how filling these fishcakes are – they’re only small but that was enough for a meal, with some rocket salad.

Makes 8 small fishcakes

Ingredients

• 160g tin of tuna in brine, drained and flaked
• About 3 tablespoons of leftover mashed potato
• Half a red onion, finely chopped
• Small chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon coriander
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Groundnut oil or sunflower oil for frying

Method

1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
2. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan.
3. Shape the mixture into small cakes and fry gently for about 3 minutes on each side until slightly brown.

Chimichurri sauce

• 1 tablespoon of green herbs – coriander and parsley
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon red onion, finely chopped
• Half a chilli, finely chopped
• Sat and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together, seasoning to taste.