Recipe: Rösti tuna cakes

If you have a tin of tuna at camp, you have a meal. This recipe is a great twist on the potato rösti and is a sure way to improve tinned fish.

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 (makes 8 cakes)
4 med/large potatoes – peeled and coarsely grated (don’t grate too finely)
1 tbs fresh parsley – chopped (or use about 1 tsp of dried parsley flakes)
1-2 tbs of chopped chives – or you can use a couple of finely chopped spring onions
½ to 1 red onion – finely chopped
1 to 2 tsp of grated lemon zest
2 eggs – beaten
2 x 95g cans of flavoured tuna – drained well
Salt and pepper
1 to 2 tbs plain flour (will help hold the cakes together with the addition of the tuna)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place the grated potato in a clean tea towel and squeeze really well to remove the liquid. If need be, put the potato into another fresh tea towel and repeat the process. This is a really important step and must be done. If you don’t want to mess up a tea towel, then use some strong paper towel or squeeze with your hands really well.
• Place the potato into a large mixing bowl and add the parsley, chives (or alternatively spring onions), onion, lemon zest, beaten egg, and salt and pepper. Mix well until thoroughly combined.
• Drain as much liquid as you can from the cans of tuna – again, this is an important step – and mix through the potato mixture.
• Add a tablespoon of flour and see how the mixture binds and holds together. If need be, add another tablespoon of flour. The cakes should hold their shape when you need to spoon them into the pan.
• Divide the tuna mixture into about 8 cakes (using clean hands is the easiest way). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes if possible before cooking as this will help the cakes hold together better.
• Heat a little oil in a large pan and spoon each cake into the hot pan.
• Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and the potato is cooked through.
• Don’t cook on too high a heat or you’ll have the outside brown and the inside not cooked through.
• Serve with a green salad and top with your favourite dressing, such as a seafood cocktail dressing, tartare sauce or lemon butter.

VIV’S HINTS

• Try adding some chopped fresh dill instead of chives.
• You can use frozen shredded potato hash browns instead of grating your own potatoes.
• Break them up and add the ingredients and mix well.
• Try salmon instead of tuna.