Air-Fryer Tuna & Sweetcorn Nuggets

This is the kind of recipe that proves pantry cooking can be properly satisfying. A tin of tuna, a tin of sweetcorn, a few mashed potatoes, an egg, panko — all common store-cupboard items — combined into small nuggets that taste much better than the sum of their parts.

The technique is straightforward. Mash the potatoes (use leftover mash if you have it), fold in drained tuna and sweetcorn, add herbs, season, bind with an egg. Shape into small oval nuggets, dredge in panko, air-fry at 200°C until crisp.

These are excellent kid food but adults eat them too — they're basically a portion-controlled fishcake. Serve with sweet chilli sauce + mayo (the Australian sweet chilli-and-mayo combo) or tartare sauce for adults.

The photo shows the nuggets piled on a white oval plate: golden- brown oblong bites with one cut open showing the white tuna mixture and yellow corn kernels inside, a ramekin of sweet chilli and mayo swirled together on the side. The kind of weeknight dinner you can make from what's already in the kitchen.