Fish Cake Fingers Recipes

FISH CAKE FINGERS

Steps:

• KIDS: The writing in bold is for you GROWN-UPS: The rest is for you. Make some mash. Tip the potatoes into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 mins then lower the heat and drop in the salmon. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins more until the fish is cooked. Lift the fish onto a plate with a slotted spoon. Continue cooking the potatoes until soft, then drain. Tip the potatoes into a bowl and get your child to mash them.
• Flake the fish. While the potatoes cook, peel away the skin from the mackerel fillets and get your child to flake the meat into a small bowl - they can taste some at this point, if they like.
• Mix it all up. Add the lemon zest to the potato, and mash some more. Then add all the flaked fish and mix together well - don't worry about breaking up the fish. If you want, divide the mix in half and add any grown-up ingredients at this stage. Leave until cool enough to handle.
• Roll out into long sausages. Lightly flour a surface and crack the eggs into a dish. Get your child to whisk them while you tip the breadcrumbs into another dish. Then ask them to divide the mash into eight and roll them on the flour into long, fat cylinders.
• Dip them in egg. Working methodically, roll the sausages carefully in the egg.
• Coat in crunchy breadcrumbs. Once the sausages are completely coated in egg, roll them in the breadcrumbs, making sure that they are well coated. The fingers can now be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days, or frozen for 1 month. To cook from frozen, Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Drizzle some olive oil over the Fish cake fingers and bake for 25-30 mins, until cooked through and golden.
• Get a grown-up to cook them. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the fingers in batches. Sizzle them for 8-10 mins, turning regularly until completely golden, then lift them out onto kitchen paper to drain. Keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the rest.
• Make a tasty sauce. While you are cooking the fingers, your child can mix the mayonnaise with the lemon juice and garlic - then get them to tip it into a small dish. Serve the fish cake fingers on a plate with the peas, watercress and some of the mayonnaise dip on the side.

PAN-FRIED FISHCAKES

Steps:

• Heat a skillet to high and add 1/4 cup cooking oil, then the onion, carrot, celery, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until it gets going, then turn to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and browned very lightly, if at all, about 20 minutes. Use a lid or a splash of water if it's coloring too much before getting soft. Turn the mirepoix out onto a plate and set it aside to cool completely. Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lime and set it aside.
• Chop the cod into 1/4-inch dice, place it in a medium bowl, and season it with 3/4 teaspoon salt and some grindings of black pepper. In the bowl of a food processor, combine a quarter of the fish with the cream and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the fish purée back to the bowl of chopped fish along with the cooled vegetable mixture, cilantro, jalapeño, lime zest, 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, and 2 of the eggs. Stir with your hands and squeeze through your fingers to mix everything really well, then heat a skillet to medium, add a teaspoon of oil and fry a little piece for tasting. Adjust as needed and when you have the seasoning right, begin breading: Beat the remaining 2 eggs in a wide, shallow bowl, put the flour in another bowl, and the remaining 2 cups bread crumbs in a third. Have a baking sheet ready to receive the breaded cakes. Pat the fish mixture down in the bowl, smooth the top, divide it in half, then separate each half into 3 parts to make sixths. Scoop up half of one of the sixths, form it into a ball with your hands, flatten it into a patty, and place it in the flour. Turn the patty to coat, shake off the excess, and then place it in the eggs. Turn it to coat completely, let excess egg drip off, and then place it in the crumbs. Coat it completely with crumbs, set it on the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining mixture until you have 12 fishcakes. Refrigerate them for 20 minutes to 6 hours before cooking.
• When you're ready, heat a skillet to medium-high and heat the oven to warm for holding one batch of fishcakes as you fry the rest. Add 1/4 inch of oil to the skillet and then as many fishcakes as will fit in a single layer. Fry, adjusting the heat as needed, until one side of the cakes is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Peek into one of the cakes to be sure it's cooked through and then keep the batch warm in the oven while you fry the rest. Right before serving, squeeze lime juice over the fishcakes.

HOMEMADE FISH FINGERS

Steps:

• Cut fillets into 3/4-in. strips; set aside. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, lemon zest, paprika, thyme and garlic salt. Place buttermilk and flour in separate shallow bowls. Coat fish strips with flour; dip into buttermilk, then coat with crumb mixture. , Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate for 20 minutes., Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing from baking sheets.

POSH FISH FINGERS

Steps:

• Clean fish fillets and cut into 8 thin pieces. Place on a kitchen towel to dry.
• Place flour and bread crumbs in two separate bowls. Divide bouillon powder and parsley between the 2 bowls and mix to combine. Beat eggs with a fork in a third bowl.
• Dip fish into the flour, then into the egg wash, and finally dust lightly in bread crumbs. Place on a plate.
• Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Gently add fish to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Serve fillets with parsley and lemon wedges.