Leek and Lemon Fish Cakes

Andy | Dinner | Chinese

Prep time: 25 min Cook time: 50 min Servings: 4

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

300g starchy (floury) potatoes (Sebago, Coliban, Russet Burbank, King Edward)
1 leek
30g butter
½ bunch flat leaf parsley
1 bunch chives
340g tuna in spring water, well drained
2 lemons
1 egg, beaten
60g plain flour
100g panko breadcrumbs
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
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.

Leek and Lemon Fish Cakes

Ingredient Notes

Equipment

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe notes

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