My leek and lemon fish cakes use canned tuna, starchy mashed potato, and plenty of lemon zest in a panko crust. An easy, affordable weeknight dinner ready in under an hour.
Leek and Lemon Fish Cakes
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Category
Dinner
Servings
4
Prep time
25 minutes
Cook time
50 minutes
I think fish cakes is a great recipe to try if you’re pretty new to cooking fish. It’s very easy to make and minimal room for error. I also think it’s a very budget friendly recipe as we’ll be using tinned tuna.
The technique of mixing cooked fish with potato to extend it goes back centuries and shows up in cuisines all over the world. This version uses starchy mashed potato, sweated leek for sweetness and body, and plenty of lemon zest and juice worked directly into the mix. The leek replaces the spring onion you often see in fish cakes and brings a softer, more rounded allium flavour once gently sweated in butter.
The key steps that make these hold together are drying the potato thoroughly before mashing, and chilling the shaped patties before crumbing and frying. Excess moisture from the potato is the main reason fish cakes fall apart in the pan. The chill step firms the mixture so it survives the coat-and-fry process intact. Panko breadcrumbs give a coarser, lighter crust than regular breadcrumbs and stay crispier once cooked.
Ingredient Notes
Starchy potatoes: Varieties like Sebago, Coliban, or Russet Burbank are essential here. Their high starch and low moisture content means the mash will be dry and fluffy rather than gluey. Waxy potatoes like Nicola or Dutch cream hold too much moisture and the mixture won’t bind properly, making the cakes prone to falling apart when frying.
Canned tuna in spring water: Well-drained spring water tuna is my choice because oil-packed tuna adds extra fat and moisture to the mix, which makes the cakes harder to bind and can make them greasy. Drain and press it thoroughly before using: any residual liquid will make the mixture wet. Look for sustainably caught “no net” tuna where possible.
Panko breadcrumbs: Japanese-style breadcrumbs with a coarser, lighter texture than standard dried breadcrumbs. They absorb less oil when shallow-frying and produce a crisper, less heavy crust. The difference in the finished texture is worth it. Regular breadcrumbs will work as a substitute but the crust will be denser.
Equipment
Chopping board
Chef’s knife
Large saucepan
Colander
Large bowl and potato masher
Large frying pan
3 shallow bowls or small trays (for crumbing)
Tray (for chilling patties)
Ingredients
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300g starchy (floury) potatoes (Sebago, Coliban, Russet Burbank, King Edward)
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1 leek
-
30g butter
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½ bunch flat leaf parsley
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1 bunch chives
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340g tuna in spring water, well drained
-
2 lemons
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1 egg, beaten
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60g plain flour
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100g panko breadcrumbs
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sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
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olive oil, for frying
-
wilted spinach and tartare sauce, to serve
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Peel and chop the potatoes. Place in a large saucepan of cold salted water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for around 15 minutes, until tender.
Drain the potatoes well in a colander, then steam over the hot saucepan (off the heat) for a couple of minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and mash until smooth.
Make the patties
Chop the leek and wash in a colander to remove any dirt. Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the leek and season with some salt. Sweat the leeks gently for 6 minutes, until soft. Set aside to cool slightly.
Finely chop the chives and parsley leaves. Add to the mashed potato along with the leeks, tuna, the zest and juice of the lemons and season with salt and pepper. Mix together until well combined.
Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape into round discs. Place on a tray and freeze for 20 minutes maximum, or 2 hours in the fridge to firm up.
Crumb and cook
Place the beaten egg, flour and breadcrumbs in separate shallow bowls or small trays. Season the flour with some salt.
Dip the tuna patties in the flour, shaking off any excess, then coat in the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Place on a tray.
Heat enough oil in a large frying pan to shallow fry over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy.
Remove from the pan and drain on some paper towel. Serve the fish cakes with some wilted spinach and tartare sauce on the side.
Recipe notes
Chef Tips
Steam the potatoes dry before mashing
After draining, return the potatoes to the colander over the residual heat from the saucepan and let them steam for a few minutes before mashing. This drives off surface moisture that would otherwise make the mixture wet and cause the cakes to break apart in the pan. You want the mash as dry and fluffy as possible before combining with the other ingredients.
Don’t over-freeze the patties
The freeze step is just to firm the shaped cakes enough to survive crumbing and frying, not to freeze them through. Twenty to thirty minutes in the freezer is the target. If they’re frozen solid, the inside won’t reach temperature by the time the outside is golden. If making further ahead, refrigerate for up to 2 hours instead.
Storage
Store cooked fish cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 180°C (355°F) for 10-12 minutes to restore the crust. Uncooked shaped patties can be frozen for up to 1 month; defrost fully in the fridge overnight before crumbing and frying.
FAQs
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes. Shape the patties and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before crumbing and frying. You can also crumb them and refrigerate for a few hours before cooking. Don’t freeze them for longer than 30 minutes if planning to cook the same day, as an over-frozen patty won’t cook through evenly.
Can I make these gluten free? Yes. Substitute the plain flour with rice flour or a gluten-free plain flour, and use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed rice crackers for the crust. The method is identical and the texture is very similar.
Can I use a different fish? Yes. Any canned fish works well here: salmon, sardines, and mackerel all give a stronger flavour than tuna. For fresh fish, use cooked, cooled, and well-flaked white fish like flathead, snapper, or barramundi. Make sure it’s as dry as possible before mixing.
