Rachael's Daytime Talk Show
Wes Martin's Mexican Tuna Cakes -- 03/11/11

Wes Martin's Mexican Tuna Cakes

Ingredients

  • 4 small cans Albacore tuna packed in water, well drained
  • 1 celery stalk, finely diced
  • 8 Spanish olives, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup celery leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 to 1 whole Fresno or jalapeno chili, finely minced with seeds (use to your taste for heat level)
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 large egg, plus 1 egg white
  • 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
  • Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 cups finely crushed tortilla chips
  • Honey-Grapefruit Salsa, for serving
  • Lemony Ricotta, for serving
  • Romaine Slaw, for serving

Yields: Serves 4

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a small baking sheet and set aside.

Put the tuna, celery and leaves, scallion, olives, chili pepper, and cilantro in a large bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, mayo, mustard, chile powder and a bit of salt and pepper together until combined. Pour the mixture over the tuna and fold with a rubber spatula until well combined, being careful not to break the tuna up too much. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and fold until well combined.

Spread the tortilla chip crumbs out on a large plate. Divide the tuna mixture into 8 portions; using your hands, pack each portion into a cake about ½-inch thick and lay them in the tortilla crumbs. Gently press an even layer of crumbs on the top and sides of each tuna cake; using a spatula, transfer them to the greased baking sheet. Bake until the cakes are set and lightly golden, 15-20 minutes.

Serve the cakes with the Romaine Slaw on the side, and a dollop of Lemony Ricotta and Grapefruit Salsa over the top of each cake.