Turn your cheap tin of tuna into the perfect meal - with these easy canned fish recipes from LOUISE KENNEY

This pâté is buttery and indulgent so a little goes a long way. It’s excellent served on little toasts as a canapé or as a fish course as part of a larger meal.

SERVES 4

120g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 garlic clove, crushed or finely grated

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt and black pepper

140g tinned smoked mackerel, drained of oil and skin removed

a few fennel fronds, roughly chopped, plus extra to decorate

60g butter to go on top

Quick cucumber pickle

½ a cucumber, finely sliced

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 Using a food processor, whizz the 120g butter with the garlic and lemon juice until whipped and soft. Season with salt, then flake in the mackerel and fennel fronds. Whizz again until you have a smooth paste. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl, smoothing out the top.

2 Melt the remaining 60g butter in a saucepan, then leave to cool slightly so the white solids settle to the bottom before carefully pouring the yellow molten butter on top of the pâté. Try not to let the white solids escape as these won’t set and will leave unsightly watery pockets in your carefully sealed pâté. You can also use a small spoon to scoop out the yellow oil. Decorate the top of the pâté with a few more fennel fronds, then refrigerate to set.

3 To make the cucumber pickle, mix the cucumber slices (about 1mm thick) with the sugar, salt and vinegar. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

4 Serve the pâté on little toasts with some cucumber pickle on the side.

Spanish tortilla with salmon and chives 

Try to make this with the best quality tinned salmon you can find. This is best eaten at room temperature and on the day it is made. You can also do as the Spanish and Italians do and sandwich a wedge of the tortilla in between two pieces of buttered baguette and have a carb fest for lunch!

SERVES 4

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

400g potatoes, peeled and finely sliced (3mm thick)

sea salt and black pepper

6 large eggs

2 tsp nonpareil capers, drained

small bunch of chives, finely chopped

200g tinned salmon in oil, skinless and boneless, drained

1 Heat the oil in a 24cm frying pan. Add the onion, garlic and potatoes, season well with salt and pepper then cook over a medium to low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for 20 minutes or until soft.

2 Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs with the capers, chives and some salt and pepper.

3 Once the potatoes have softened, pour in the egg mixture and flake over the salmon. Give everything a good mix, then turn the heat to very low, cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes until the egg has almost set.

4 Remove the lid and pop a large plate on top of the pan. Flip the tortilla over and slide back into the pan to cook for 5-10 more minutes.

5 Remove the tortilla to a plate and leave to cool.

6 Serve with a green salad with vinaigrette, or some heritage tomatoes drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt.

Tuna puff pastry tart 

I love tarts – they are so easy to make and are fabulous for lunchtimes or even packed lunches. Make sure you season everything generously with salt and pepper as the mascarpone is mild and sweet.

SERVES 4

320g puff pastry sheet, at room temperature

230g tinned tuna, drained

85g mature cheddar, grated

85g mascarpone

2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

1 tbsp nonpareil capers

salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ red onion, finely sliced

3 medium tomatoes, sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C/gas 6.

2 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and unfurl the pastry on to it. Score a 2cm border around the edges and set aside while you make the filling.

3 Mix together the tuna, cheddar, mascarpone, mustard and capers in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, then spread this over the middle of the pastry, leaving a 2cm border free.

4 Add the red onion slices over the top and arrange the tomato slices so that they more or less cover any gaps and most of the tuna is covered with either onion or tomato.

5 Drizzle over the oil and season again with salt and pepper.

6 Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes until crispy and golden. Cut the tart into quarters and serve with some buttered new potatoes and a crunchy green salad on the side.

Potato and anchovy gratin 

This works fantastically well alongside wilted cabbage or kale and is excellent with a piece of fish or even pork or lamb. It’s also a good alternative to a Sunday roast, if you can bear to part with roast potatoes once in a while!

SERVES 4

800g all-rounder potatoes, such as Orla, Triplo or Maris Pipers, peeled

400ml whole milk

250ml fish stock

100ml double cream

2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated

2 fresh bay leaves

8 anchovy fillets, torn into pieces

salt and black pepper

50g parmesan

50g Gruyère

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

2 Slice the potatoes into 3mm slices, using a mandoline or side of a box grater. Set aside.

3 Using a wide, ovenproof casserole dish, gently heat the milk, stock and cream along with the garlic, bay leaves, anchovies, some salt and plenty of black pepper.

4 Once it is steaming, add in the sliced potatoes and turn up the heat. Bring it to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes.

5 Evenly grate the cheeses over the top, then transfer the dish to the oven. Bake for 40 minutes until golden on top and bubbling around the edges. Serve alongside roast salmon, halibut or another firm fish and steamed green leaves to cut through the richness of the gratin.

Crispy sardines with avocado toast and hot sauce

You need very fresh eggs to make perfect poached eggs, as the albumen breaks down over time, leaving you with a shapeless egg.

SERVES 1

100g sardines (oil reserved for dressing)

salt and pepper

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp hot sauce

2 medium (very fresh) eggs

1 avocado

a couple of slices of toast, to serve

1 Preheat an air fryer to 190C, or a grill to the highest setting.

2 Put the sardines on to a square of foil or baking parchment. Mash them with a fork, season with salt and pepper and air-fry for 12 minutes until crispy. If using a grill, place them under the grill for 5-6 minutes until crispy and slightly charred, keep an eye on them to ensure they don’t burn.

3 Make the hot sauce dressing by whisking together 3 tbsp sardine tin oil, the lemon juice and hot sauce, along with salt and pepper. Set aside.

4 For the poached eggs you’ll need a deep frying pan that can accommodate 2 eggs. Fill with fresh water and bring it to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, set up a draining station with a side plate, some kitchen paper and a slotted spoon.

5 To poach the eggs, crack each one into separate glasses. Turn down the heat so it is barely simmering, then gently slip each egg into the water, one at a time. Set your timer to 2 minutes and poach. Lift out each one with a slotted spoon and drain briefly on the kitchen paper.

6 Peel and de-stone the avocado, then mash the flesh on to the toast and drizzle over some of the dressing. Serve with the crispy sardines and poached eggs on top.

Crab pasta

Tinned crab meat varies in quality so I’d recommend buying a good brand that hasn’t been dyed. This is pretty quick to rustle up so you can make the sauce while the pasta is cooking, then use a spoonful or so of the pasta cooking water to help bring everything together.

SERVES 2

200g linguine

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely chopped

120g tinned crab meat (either shredded or large chunks), drained

splash of dry white wine (a chardonnay-based wine works well here)

juice of ½ lemon

small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

salt and black pepper

1 Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, drain well and keep warm, reserving some of the cooking water in a separate jug.

2 In a frying pan set over a medium heat, warm the olive oil then add the garlic and chilli and fry for a couple of minutes until golden and fragrant.

3 Add in the drained crab meat along with a pinch of salt and a splash of white wine, stir and let this bubble up for a minute or so until it’s almost completely evaporated, then turn off the heat and add in the cooked linguine with a little of the pasta cooking water. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle over the chopped parsley, mix everything together then serve in warmed pasta bowls.

4 Drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil along with a couple of grinds of black pepper.

Tinned fish chowder

I wrote this especially using the smoked trout and cockles in garlic and chilli made by Sea Sisters. Given some of the ingredients are quite expensive, you may want to make this for a special supper.

SERVES 4

200g tinned smoked rainbow trout, oil drained and reserved

1 celery stick, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 fresh bay leaf

800g potatoes such as King Edward, Cosmos, Desiree and Sante, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks

200g tinned cockles with chilli and garlic, oil drained and reserved for cooking

1 litre hot vegetable stock

90g marsh samphire

100ml double cream

small handful of parsley, finely chopped

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt and black pepper

crusty bread and lots of butter, to serve

1 Heat 1 tbsp of the oil from the smoked trout in a casserole dish or large saucepan. Add in the chopped celery, carrot, onions and bay leaf, season well then cover and sweat over a low heat for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

2 Add the potatoes, oil from the cockles and a little more salt and pepper and sweat for a further 10 minutes. Pour in the hot stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 more minutes.

3 Add in the samphire, tinned trout and cockles and bubble away for 2-3 minutes.

4 Finally, stir in the cream, parsley and lemon juice. Serve up in warmed bowls with crusty bread and butter on the side. 

NOW BUY THE BOOK

Our recipes are from Hooked: Tinned Fish Made Tasty by Louise Kenney with photographs by Danielle Wood (OH, £16.99). To order a copy for £14.44 until 29 November, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.