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Fish Fingers

Introduction & method

Fish fingers, or fish sticks, were introduced in the 1950s as a convenient way to consume fish without the need for any prep and with zero waste. But the quality of the fish inside can sometimes be dubious unless you make your own.

 Fish Fingers Recipe

Breadcrumbs


Of course you can buy breadcrumbs but if you're put off by the idea of that, make your own. Tear 2 slices of white bread into bits. Leave it out in your kitchen for a day until it has dried out a bit. Or put it in a very low oven to dry it out. Put it in a blender or push it through the grater on a food processor to convert it into small crumbs. Run the crumbs through a spider to separate out any big pieces. Season with salt and pepper, stir in a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika and a tablespoon or two of grated parmesan cheese.

The Fish


If you're trying to emulate the neat rectangles of commercial fish, you could cut them out of some large fillets, but you'll probably have a fair amount of waste. You might want to experiment with using meat glue (transglutimanase) to bond some cheap skinny fillets together. I always thought fish fingers were a standard size, but they're not. All I could find in the way of specifications said that they should weigh between 20 and 50 grams each, be at least three times longer than they are wide, and be more than 10 millimetres thick. So cut your fish into rectangles that comply with the above rules. Or not.

Coat the Fish


You'll need to set up a production line. A plate with flour on it. A shallow bowl containg beaten egg. A plate of seasoned breadcrumbs. Coat each fish stick in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Shake off any excess crumbs.

Cook the Fish Fingers


We're going to be healthy and oven-bake our fish fingers, so heat your oven to 180°C (356°F) for a fan/convection oven, 200°C (392°F) conventional, gas 5. Place the fish fingers on a baking sheet, squirt with oil on both sides, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Serve with chips and peas, and maybe some tartare sauce.


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Fish Fingers on YouTube.

 
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Ingredients & Info


BREADCRUMBS
 2 slices thick sliced white bread
 2 tbsp grated parmesan
 1 tsp smoked paprika
  salt and pepper to taste
FILLING
 250 grams white fish fillets
 2-3 tbsp plain white flour
 1 egg, beaten
 2-3 tbsp seasoned breadcrumbs

UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Makes about 6 fish fingers
Prep time: 10 minutes.
Cooking time: 20 minutes.
Total time: 30 minutes.