Tuna Burgers with Snow Peas

Tuna Burgers with Snow Peas

This is essentially a great pantry recipe to have in your repetoire based on two of my favourite pantry staples: canned chickpeas and tuna.

serves 2-3
1 large tin tuna in oil (425g / 15oz), drained
1 can chickpeas (400g / 14oz), drained
1 egg
2-3 handfuls snow peas (mange tout)
mayonnaise, natural yoghurt or lemon juice, to serve

1. Bring the kettle to the boil and place a large frying pan on a medium high heat.

2. Mash tuna and chickpeas together in a bowl using a fork or your hands. It’s OK to leave a few chickpeas whole.

3. Stir in egg and form mixture into 3 burger patties.

4. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the pan and fry burgers for 4-5 minutes each side. Being very careful when turning because they do like to fall apart.

5. Meanwhile, trim the tops from the snow peas. Place in a strainer and pour over the boiling water from the kettle to blanch. Drain.

6. Serve burgers topped with mayo and snow peas on the side.

Prepare Ahead?

You could prepare the burgers and keep in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. They’ll take a little longer to cook. OR cook the burgers, cool and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in the oven or in a frypan over a medium heat.

Leftover Potential

Will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

Variations

vegetarian – replace tuna with an extra can of chickpeas and make Chickpea burgers.

carnivore – replace the tuna with 450g (1lb) minced (ground) chicken and skip the egg. Or cook beef burgers.

vegan – try some lentil burgers and serve with veggie mayonnaise.

salmon burgers – replace the tuna with canned pink or red salmon.

mermaid cakes – keep the recipe exactly as is but get more creative with the name!

gluten-free / paleo /low-carb – replace chickpeas with extra tuna.

carb lovers / more substantial – serve with burger buns.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

tuna, chickpeas – pantry.

egg – keeps for weeks in the fridge. Can be frozen (crack and freeze in a plastic bag to avoid eggy explosions).

snow peas (mange tout) – will keep for a few weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen.

mayonnaise, natural yoghurt – keeps for weeks in the fridge. Don’t freeze.

Problem Solving Guide

burgers falling apart -it’s really important to cook the burgers well on the first side so the egg has a chance to set and hold everything together. Next time cook for longer before attempting to turn, For now just rename it scrambled tuna or tuna hash 😉

too bland? don’t forget to season. A little more lemon may liven things up or feel free to up the amount of pesto.

too dry – if the burgers are overcooked the texture will be quite dry. For now just be more generous with the mayo but next time, get them out of the pan a bit earlier.

Serving Suggestions

Great as a meal on it’s own. Feel free to skip the snowpeas and serve with salad instead.

If you’re cool with eating bread, feel free to serve between your favourite hamburger bun or an english muffin instead.

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