Tuna didn’t find its footing in American cuisine until after it began being sold in cans in 1908. It was branded as Chicken of the Sea to add a sense of familiarity, and soon became America’s most consumed fish and was commonly used in many family recipes like tuna noodle casserole and tuna croquettes. While tartar sauce has been around since the 1800s, it rose in the public eye in 1947 after the Mazola company began taking out four-page color advertising spreads in magazines, extolling the pairing of tartar sauce and fish.
Ingredients
Tartar Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Croquettes
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons green onion, chopped finely, including some of the tender green tops
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (5-ounce) can solid tuna packed in water, very well drained
- 2 teaspoons paprika or cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
How to Make It
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For the Tartar Sauce
- In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, relish, lemon zest, lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir well and set aside. For the Croquettes
- In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, ½ cup of the bread crumbs, the milk, flour, green onion, and salt until well blended. Add the tuna and 1 teaspoon of the paprika and stir very well with a fork, breaking up the fish into very small pieces. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a deep skillet or wok, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat to 350ºF.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup panko and 1 teaspoon paprika.
- Use two spoons or an ice cream scoop to divide the tuna mixture into 8 portions and drop each into the bowl of crumbs, turning gently to coat all sides.
- When the oil is hot, fry the croquettes in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Scoop from the oil onto layers of paper towels to drain while you finish frying the rest. Serve hot, with the tartar sauce on the side.