Tuna Cakes
This is my basic recipe for many wonderful tuna cakes. The indulgence for this delicious batch was frying them in bacon fat!
I bake up some Restaurant Style Sheet Pan Bacon and save the rendered fat for adding a lusciousness to many simple dishes. This is definitely an occasion where bacon fat really works.
These cakes are filled to max with diced celery and onion, too.
Roasted potatoes and spicy garlic purple kale were also on the menu for the evening. I added some bacon fat to these dishes as well to carry on that Southern feeling throughout the meal.
This was a great combination, so tasty!
Albacore tuna cakes frying in bacon fat.
Generally speaking, good quality canned tuna is relatively inexpensive so use something nice, I promise it will be worth it.
We have tuna cakes quite often so I've mixed up many cakes with different adds of course. I do always start with this basic recipe.
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What can I add to these perfect tuna cakes?
Why not some shredded carrot?
Maybe some minced parsley, fresh mint leaves or lots of spring onions.
You can even give them a light breading of panko flakes.
Insert your imagination here!
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Cheers!
~Melisa
Tuna Cakes
Ingredients
1 large (12 oz) can of Solid White Albacore Tuna (in water)
3 Tablespoons Light Mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
3 large ribs Celery chopped finely
3 Tablespoons minced sweet or white onion
8 Saltine crackers, crushed
1 Large or 2 smaller eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon butter
3-4 tablespoons clean rendered bacon fat
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Method
Saute the celery and onion in 1 teaspoon butter until slightly translucent, 5-8 minutes, remove the vegetables to a medium sized bowl and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
Mix the rest of the ingredients except the bacon fat together in the same bowl with the sauteed vegetables and let sit for about 15 minutes to moisten the crackers.
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Form 6 balls of equal size while heating a heavy pan to medium heat. Cast iron is best for this, be sure to allow plenty of time for the pan to really get heated through then add the bacon fat.
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Press the balls into the hot oil with the back of a metal spatula to flatten them into cakes. Fry until golden, 6-8 minutes then flip them over and continue cooking until the other side is golden.
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Serve while hot with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.