What’s for Dinner: Fish Fingers with Chunky Tartar Sauce

One of my favourite foods when I was a kid growing up in England was fish fingers with baked beans and mashed potatoes. Now, my kids love them but we usually just take them out of the freezer and toss them in the oven.

Personally, I doubt that the frozen fish fingers actually have any fish in them so this recipe was great. I felt good about feeding these fish fingers to my kids, and (bonus) they loved them!

This familiar family favorite is fresh, simple, and tasty. The fish stays moist and succulent inside its crispy coating, while the tartar sauce adds a little bit of crunchy tang.

prep 15 mins  cook 10 mins ❉ freezable

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb (675g) thick white fish fillets (loin works best), such as haddock, sustainable cod, or pollack, skinned
1–2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs, toasted
2oz (60g) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp tartar sauce
1 tsp capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
3 gherkins, drained and finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the fish fillets into thick, even strips about 1in (2.5cm) wide; you should end up with about 20 fingers of fish.

2. Pour the flour and egg onto separate plates. Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper. Dredge the fish in the flour, then dip in the egg to coat. Use the bread crumb mixture to coat each of the fish fingers. Make sure that you coat them well, as it protects the fish while it’s cooking.

3. Sit the fish fingers on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5–8 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. (Alternatively, you can shallow-fry them in a little sunflower or vegetable oil if you prefer.)

4. Pour the tartar sauce into a bowl and stir in the capers and gherkins. Serve immediately with the hot fish fingers.

Excerpted from Cooking Season by Season – copyright 2013 DK Publishing