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Tuna Fish Cakes

A savory patty made from mashed potatoes, tuna, corn, peas, carrots, herbs, and spices, coated in breadcrumbs and baked or fried.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Carrot and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,053 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Tuna Fish Cakes

Oven200°C / 400°F
Time30–35 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs in a large bowl and mix until combined.

  2. Shape mixture into patties and gently roll in breadcrumbs until well coated.

Cook

  1. Place patties on a baking tray and cook in a moderately hot oven (200°C /400°F) for 30–35 minutes, turning once until golden brown and crisp.

  2. Place patties under a moderately hot grill and cook for 8–10 minutes each side until golden brown and crisp.

  3. Heat a small amount oil in a large frying pan and fry patties for 5 minutes each side until crisp and golden, drain well and keep warm to serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1074Calories
52 gProtein
21 gFat
168 gCarbs

Counts 11 of 13 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 11 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Salmon100g cooked208
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Corn1/2 cup kernels (82g)77
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Carrot1 medium (61g)25
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Coriandernot in our table0
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Carrot + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together8,053 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  2. Basil + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,351 recipes

    Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

  3. Coriander + parsleytop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,062 recipes

    Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

  4. Coriander + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together520 recipes

    Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

  5. Potato + carrottop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together3,107 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cooked mashed potatoes
Provides the bulk and binding base that holds the patties together.
Tuna
Supplies the main protein and savoury flavour of the patties.
Egg
Binds the mixture so the patties hold their shape when cooked.
Breadcrumbs
Form a coating that browns and crisps during cooking.

The step that matters

Shaping and coating the patties. The mixture is soft, so patties must be firm and evenly coated before cooking. Loose patties can break apart, and thin coating browns unevenly or burns.

Swap the peas

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, corn, carrot, coriander, basil, parsley, sauce):

  1. Chickpeafits better
  2. Beansfits better
  3. Lentilsfits better
  4. Peasthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, corn, carrot, coriander, basil, parsley, sauce. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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