Jamie Oliver's Genius Way To Use Up Canned Foods For A Weeknight Meal

Some celebrity chefs seem to assume that the rest of us have sufficient funds to purchase nothing but the finest and fanciest of ingredients. They sneer at canned foods — in fact, canned vegetables are among the items Ina Garten bans from her kitchen. Canned vegetables aren't all bad, though. We think these canned vegetables belong in your pantry, while professional chefs use canned tomatoes in restaurants and at home. Canned seafood is super useful, and it's something even Jamie Oliver keeps on hand. His five-star recipe for Tin-Raid Fishcakes not only calls for canned tuna, but also two other canned items. (Or "tinned," as he calls them — he's from the U.K., so his use of Britishisms is no affectation.)

These fishcakes start with a can of water-packed tuna, as Oliver suggests, although salmon would also work. Canned potatoes are used to bulk things up, while canned corn provides flavor and textural contrast. Additional non-canned ingredients include bread, shredded cheddar cheese, mustard, and lemon zest, as well as flour for dredging, and oil for frying. (The fish cakes can also be baked in an air fryer, but they'll still need a coating of oil to make them crispy.)

These clean-out-the-pantry fishcakes aren't the only dish Jamie Oliver makes with canned goods. His tuna bucatini also uses canned fish (anchovies as well as tuna), and quite a few of his recipes make use of canned beans. His yellow chicken curry calls for canned chickpeas, as does his homemade hummus. Black beans feature in his vegetarian version of feijoada and are also used in his aubergine (eggplant) daal. Cannellini beans and canned plum tomatoes go into his jacket potatoes with beans, while canned tomatoes and mixed beans are an integral part of his vegetarian chili. Canned tomatoes also feature in his tomato, black olive, feta, and anchovy tart as well as his arrabbiata sauce, while his pumpkin curry, like his fishcakes, hits the canned food trifecta by using canned chickpeas, tomatoes, and coconut milk. (The pumpkin, however, is fresh.)

Oliver shows some love to canned fruit, as well. He cooks red cabbage with chorizo and canned pears for a sweet-and-savory mashup that can either be a hearty side dish or a light main course. He has a canned food recipe for dessert, as well: clafoutis made with canned peaches. Apart from this plethora of recipes, Oliver has an even greater gift to offer. The realization that canned fish and produce are good enough for a famous chef is incredibly validating for those of us whose kitchen cupboards are overflowing with these items.