Start off by melting 1 tablespoon of butter in a small frying pan. Add onion and celery and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until they are soft and beginning to brown. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.

Put tuna in a medium bowl. Add ⅛ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. In a separate small bowl, put ¼ cup milk. Dip each slice of bread into milk, give them a quick squeeze, and crumble them into the tuna. Gently mix them together to break up the bread even more and combine. Add cracker crumbs. Scrape the onion, celery, and any remaining butter into the tuna mixture. Mix until combined but don’t over-mix (I recommend using your hands for this.)

You will need 3 shallow bowls for the breading. In the first one, put the flour and season with a pinch of salt. Give it a stir. In the second bowl, crack the egg(s). Add a pinch of salt to this as well and whisk it. In the third bowl, put ½ cup of cracker crumbs.

Put ½-inch oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Divide tuna mixture into 4 equal parts. Shape into patties. Dip each patty first into the flour, then the egg, and finally, the cracker crumbs. Once the oil is heated (drop a tiny piece of tuna into the oil, if it sizzles and bubbles, the oil is ready), place patties in the pan and fry until the bottom is browned. Flip and cook a few more minutes until both sides are brown.

Sometimes I just eat these tuna patties right out of a dish – no bun – with ketchup! But they make a fabulous sandwich! Add lettuce and some dilly mayo (4 tablespoons mayo combined with 2 teaspoons fresh dill for 4 sandwiches).