Spatter shield to prevent popping, while pan-frying
For the tartar sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
½ cup minced sweet yellow onion
1/3 cup minced drained capers
1/3 cup minced fresh drained (jarred) roasted red pimento
1/3 cup minced gherkin pickles
2 tablespoons each: minced fresh chives and cilantro
2 tablespoons jalapeno spread (jarred minced pickled jalapenos, available in the supermarket)
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the tuna cakes:
24 ounces well-drained canned tuna, flaked with a fork
2 firm-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped small
½ cup minced celery
½ (gently packed) cup soft bread crumbs (remove the crusts from 2 slices of sturdy white bread and pulverize slices in the food processor)
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 rounded cups panko crumbs
1/3 cup sesame seeds
Flavorless vegetable oil, as needed
For garnish: chopped chives and/or cilantro
To make the tartar sauce: Combine all of the listed ingredients and set aside.
To assemble the tuna cakes: Mix the flaked tuna, the chopped cooked egg, celery, soft breadcrumbs and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix into this ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon of the tartar sauce and, when well combined, add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate the tuna mixture for an hour or so, just to help it bind together. Line a plate or a tray with wax paper and place on another tray the panko mixed with the sesame seeds and some pepper, to taste. One by one, form the chilled tuna mixture into 4 quite large or 6 adequate portions and shape into patties, coating each one well on both sides with the crumb mixture. Place each cake, as it's formed, on the wax-paper-lined plate. When done, place the tuna cakes and the reserved crumbs, separately in the refrigerator, until ready to pan-fry. Reserve the remaining tartar sauce for serving at the table.
To pan-fry the tuna cakes and serve: Line a baking sheet with a wire rack. Heat a large non-stick skillet with enough oil to come half way up the sides of the tuna cakes (the amount of oil will vary depending on the size of your skillet) and heat the oil to hot. While the oil is heating, re-coat each tuna cake in the reserved crumb mixture, patting to help the crumbs adhere to both sides. Fry the cakes in the hot oil, until golden and heated through, turning once, and drain on the rack, placed over the baking sheet. (While cooking the tuna cakes, to prevent hot oil from popping, due to the addition of sesame seeds, place a large spatter shield over the skillet). Serve the tuna cakes hot, garnished with additional chopped chives and/or cilantro, with the reserved tartar sauce, passed at the table.
Timing is Everything:
* The tartar sauce can be made a few days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, covered.
* The tuna cakes can be made a day ahead and kept in the refrigerator, well covered.
Nutritional information (per tuna cake serving)
510 calories, 20g fat (3g saturated, 1.29g omega-3), 690mg sodium, 35g carbohydrate, 44g protein, vitamin A 4%, calcium 15%, iron 25%
Nutritional information (per 1 Tbsp savory tartar sauce)
40 calories, 4g fat (0g saturated, 0g omega-3), 130mg sodium, 1g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, vitamin A 2%
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