057 / 75 · A Little Meat or Fish
Crisp Tuna and Potato-Wrapped Eggs
4 large tuna-potato-wrapped eggs, 1 per person with one-quarter of the carrot slaw · Active 45 min · Total 1 hr 50 min
Print recipe · PDFA whole hard-cooked egg sits inside each golden tuna-and-potato shell. Cutting one open gives a satisfying contrast of crisp crumbs, soft potato, fish and a firm yellow center. A simple carrot slaw completes the plate, while two ordinary cans of tuna stretch into four substantial baked portions.
Dry mashed potato is easier to shape
Drain the boiled potatoes thoroughly, return them briefly to the warm pan and mash without adding milk or butter. The tuna brings its own moisture, and a loose mash can split around the egg. Spread the mash to cool instead of leaving a hot mound in the saucepan. The short chilling stage is part of the recipe, giving the shell enough firmness to handle without extra handfuls of flour.
Divide the shell before enclosing the eggs
Make four equal portions of the tuna mixture, then flatten each in your palm before placing the egg in the middle. Bring the edges up gradually and close any gaps. You want an even layer rather than a thick base with a thin exposed top. The egg is already hard-cooked; this stage is about building a sound shell, not trying to preserve a runny center.
Bake for a crisp, manageable coating
A tray is easier to manage than a pan of deep oil when the parcels are this large. Flour, beaten egg and crumbs make a dry surface, and the measured brushed oil encourages browning. Leave space around the parcels so their sides do not steam against each other. Let them stand briefly before cutting with a sharp knife. Spoon the cool slaw beside the parcel rather than over the crust, which helps the crumbs retain their texture.
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs (250 g without shells total), divided: 4 for hard-cooking and 1 for coating
- About 8 cups water for hard-cooking eggs and boiling potatoes (2 L total, divided between pans)
- 4 medium floury potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (600 g prepared)
- 2 cans tuna in water, drained well (240 g drained total)
- 1/2 small onion, very finely chopped (60 g prepared)
- 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard (10 g)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (1 g)
- 1 teaspoon fine salt (6 g), divided: 1/2 teaspoon/3 g for tuna mixture and 1/2 teaspoon/3 g for slaw
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (1 g), divided equally
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour for coating (40 g)
- 1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs (80 g)
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil for brushing (45 ml)
- 3 medium carrots, coarsely grated (300 g prepared)
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt (60 g)
- 1 tablespoon plain white vinegar (15 ml)
Set out
2 saucepans, potato masher, shallow cooling tray, mixing bowl, 3 shallow coating dishes, baking tray and baking paper, pastry brush, grater, food thermometer
Allergens
fish, egg, wheat, milk, mustard. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put 4 eggs in a saucepan, cover with part of the cooking water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–11 minutes until hard-cooked. Drain, cool under cold running water and peel. In the second pan, cover potatoes with the remaining cooking water, adding enough to submerge if necessary, and boil for 12–15 minutes until completely tender.
- Drain potatoes well, return to the warm pan for 1 minute off the heat and mash without adding liquid. Spread thinly on a shallow tray and cool for 15–20 minutes until comfortable to handle. Mix with drained tuna, onion, mustard, dried parsley, 3 g salt and half the pepper.
- Divide tuna-potato mixture into 4 equal portions. Flatten one portion in your palm, place a peeled egg in the middle and bring the mixture around it, closing gaps to make an even shell. Repeat and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, mix carrots, yogurt, vinegar, remaining salt and pepper; refrigerate the slaw.
- Heat the oven to 425°F/220°C and line the baking tray. Put flour in one shallow dish, beat the fifth egg in another and put breadcrumbs in the third. Coat each chilled parcel in flour, egg and crumbs, pressing gently. Place apart on the tray. Brush all sides carefully with the measured oil.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, turning gently after 15 minutes, until crisp and golden and the center reaches 165°F/74°C. Let stand for 5 minutes, then serve 1 parcel per person with one-quarter of the carrot slaw.
Four complete parcels
Each portion includes one whole egg plus a quarter of the fish-and-potato mixture. Dividing the mixture before shaping avoids making one very large parcel and three thin shells.
Ingredient labels
Tuna supplies fish; the shell and coating contain egg and wheat, and the slaw uses yogurt. Check prepared mustard and breadcrumbs for additional allergens.
A useful detail
Potatoes need to be dry and cool before shaping, and the formed parcels get a further 20-minute chill. Both pauses are included in the total rather than hidden behind the baking time.
Another way
- Use 240 g drained canned salmon instead of tuna, checking and removing any unwanted skin or hard bone fragments before mixing.
- Replace carrots with the same weight of finely shredded cabbage for the slaw, using the same dressing.
Keep it well
Refrigerate cooked parcels and slaw separately in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat a parcel in a 375°F/190°C oven until 165°F/74°C at the center. Keep the slaw cold; the crumb shell will be less crisp after refrigeration.