TUNA AND SWEET POTATO SESAME PATTIES WITH PICKLED SALAD

Preparation time 20 mins Cooking time 40 mins Serves 4

600ml cold water

300ml rice wine vinegar

80g caster sugar or coconut

sugar or 1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1-2 star anise

10g spiral arame, rehydrated (available from Asian grocery stores)

2 large sweet potatoes with

skin, cut into chunks

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper, to season 300g tinned tuna, drained

of any juices

2 handfuls of breadcrumbs,

plus extra 2 handfuls

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 green shallots, finely sliced 5cm piece ginger, peeled

and grated

11/2 Tbsp sesame seeds,

lightly toasted

Oil, for shallow frying

3 lebanese cucumbers,

sliced into thin rounds 8 radishes, thinly sliced Coriander leaves, lemon

wedges to serve

STEP 1 Preheat oven to 180°C fan-forced (200°C conventional). Put water, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds and star anise, in a small saucepan and set over high heat. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn heat down and simmer for a few minutes. Remove from heat and pour over arame in a small heatproof bowl. Allow to cool. STEP 2 Meanwhile, toss sweet potato in oil, season and spread on an oven tray. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Transfer sweet potato to a large bowl and roughly mash. Add tuna, breadcrumbs, eggs, green shallots, ginger, and half the sesame seeds, then season. Mix well.

STEP 3 Put remaining sesame seeds and extra breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Roll 8 patties with your hands and flatten them a little. Coat both sides of the patties in sesame crumbs.

STEP 4 Pour oil into a large frying pan until it comes 1cm up the side. Set over medium heat. When oil is hot, cook patties in 2 batches. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side then, using a slide, gently turn patties over and cook for a further 3 minutes. Drain.

STEP 5 Toss cucumber and radish in the bowl with arame and pickling liquid. Drain liquid and pile pickled salad on top of tuna patties. Serve patties scattered with coriander leaves and with a squeeze of lemon from wedges.