Jumbo fish fingers

 

Ingredients

1 x 2½ lbs side of salmon, skin off, pin-boned, from sustainable sources

2 large free-range eggs

1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

8 oz whole-grain bread

1 oz Cheddar cheese

extra virgin olive oil

Method

Something as humble and everyday as a fish finger can be made even more nutritious if you make your own, and even better, you can go jumbo in size! I like to use salmon but, of course, white fish works well, too.

Cut the fish into 10 x 4-oz portions. The nature of the shape of the salmon side means that they won’t be uniform in size, but that’s all part of their charm. I tend to cut the side lengthways about 1¼ inch thick, then into chunks from that.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs with the paprika and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.

Tear the bread into a food processor, grate in the cheese, add 2 tablespoons of oil, and whizz until you have bread crumbs, then tip into a tray (this is probably more bread than you need, but it is easier to work with — simply discard whatever’s left).

Coat each fish portion in the egg mixture, let any excess drip off, then turn in the bread crumbs until well coated all over. Transfer to a pan lined with parchment paper, layering them up between sheets of paper until they’re all coated. Cook right away or freeze in the pan — once frozen, you can pop them into a container or sandwich bags for easier storage

To cook, place however many jumbo fish fingers you need on a roasting pan and cook in a preheated oven at 400°F for 15 minutes from fresh, or 20 minutes from frozen, or until golden and cooked through.

Tips

Sides of salmon are often on offer in the supermarket – it’s simply one of the realities of the fish farming industry that, due to variations in supply and demand, there’ll be surpluses. So when you see salmon on offer, take advantage of that great value!

ON THE SIDE

– Super-tasty served with oven-baked potato wedges and salad or steamed veg, or stuffed into a wholemeal bap with a spoonful of smashed peas and a dollop of tartare sauce.

EASY SWAPS

– You can apply this breadcrumbing principle to other fresh or frozen fish (if using frozen, don’t refreeze, cook right away), prawns, chicken and veg.

– I’ve made fresh breadcrumbs here, but if you have stale ones feel free to use them, whatever you have to hand.

BOOST YOUR BREADCRUMBS

– Try blitzing garlic and fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, oregano or thyme into your crumbs.

– Finely grating in a little lemon zest will add a lovely fresh flavour.

– A small handful of porridge oats will add great texture.

– Chuck in some nuts for extra nutritional benefit, think almonds, cashews or pine nuts.

– A couple of anchovy fillets would be delicious.

– Add a sprinkling of dried red chilli flakes if you like a bit of heat.