AirFryday: Make crunchy croquettes from store cupboard items

Getting through January requires a bit of kitchen ingenuity. This is the time to stop ignoring those cans, packets and jars of stuff you often forget about on your shelves and in the fridge, and turn them into a supper that doesn’t need to cost you much, if anything at all that wasn’t paid for last year.

The air fryer is a thrifty piece of equipment as well. Things cook quicker in it than in a big conventional oven, and, for most dishes, you hardly use any fat at all compared to what you would use in a pot on the stove.

There were two standard cans of tuna in salt water on the pantry shelf. There were plenty of large potatoes, and some onions. I even had some panko crumbs, but you don’t need those — any breadcrumbs will do, or make your own in a jiffy.

I had two slices of stale (but not mouldy) bread in the fridge. But I also had a bag of panko breadcrumbs in a cupboard. While this is a premium product and doesn’t fall into the “thrift” category, the fact that it was already there means it can be used in a thrifty recipe. It didn’t cost me anything this month, put it that way.

I decided to use the stale bread (after blitzing it into crumbs in a processor) in the croquettes mixture, but opted to roll them in panko crumbs.

You can make six or more croquettes from these quantities. It depends on how big you choose to make them. Divide the potato and tuna mixture into six, eight, or 10 clumps of similar size before dipping them into flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs.

Tony’s tuna and potato croquettes, air fryer style

(Makes 6 to 10)

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, peeled

Milk and butter for the mashed potato

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cans of tuna in water or brine, drained (but use 1 can if that’s what you have)

1 heaped Tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, any or all of them)

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 slices of stale or day-old bread (but check that there’s no mould)

Salt and black pepper

To coat:

⅓ cup flour, or more if needed

1 egg, beaten

Breadcrumbs, enough to roll all of the croquettes in

Salt and black pepper

Method

Earlier, peel the potatoes and boil them in rapidly boiling water until tender. Drain. Once drained, mash them, stirring in salt to taste, a little milk, and butter. Reserve.

Peel and chop an onion finely, and sauté until tender but not golden, in butter or oil. Reserve.

Open the can/s of tuna and drain through a fine sieve into a bowl, to collect the juices. (Which you don’t need.)

In a bowl, mix the drained tuna flesh into the mashed potato, and the chopped onion.

Stir in the mustard and herbs, the lemon juice and zest, and salt and black pepper to taste.

Stir in the breadcrumbs (made from 2 slices of stale or day-old bread).

Take each clump of the mixture in wet hands and pat them into shapes (elongated, with flat ends). Place them on a plate and refrigerate for half an hour to firm up.

Have your flour, beaten egg, and breadcrumbs ready in front of you, in that order from left to right. Remove the potato cakes from the refrigerator and roll them in flour, then in egg, and then in breadcrumbs. Place them back on the plate.

Preheat the air fryer to 200°C (or 205°C if that’s your setting).

Air fry at that temperature until they’re golden brown and crunchy on the outside.

Note that I made six plump croquettes, but smaller ones may cook quicker.

I served them with shredded courgettes which I refreshed in cold water, drained, and tossed through some lemon juice, olive oil and a little wholegrain mustard, salt and black pepper. DM

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award, in 2021 and 2023

Order Tony’s book, foodSTUFF, here.

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed in a bowl by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.