Fish Fingers

These fish fingers were the biggest hit at Hasini’s birthday party couple of weeks back. Fish fingers are a great make-ahead party appetizer and they were one of the first things I got done for this party and they were the first things to go. Kids loved the fish fingers as did the adults. I prepared nearly 4 kilos of fish fingers (the day before the party) and it took me approximately 1-1/2 hours to get it all done. But I was mighty pleased that one big item on the party menu was done and was sitting snug in the freezer ready to be deep fried. 

I stacked the fish fingers in neat lines in a big rectangular plastic box, and used butter paper to separate the layers of fish fingers to avoid sticking/breaking. The next day, I thawed them for a couple of hours and then deep-fried them in the afternoon but the party was not until late in the evening. I just warmed them in the oven before serving and they were perfect. I served them with mayonnaise and ketchup. I’ve given the scaled down family-size recipe though.

This is an Indian fish finger recipe with just the right amount of heat and masala. I was apprehensive of trying the western type fish fingers with just salt, pepper and parmesan as I was serving it at a party and the crowd was mostly Mayandi Kudumbathinar type. This is really easy and there’s almost zero cleaning (seafood generally involves a lot of cleaning) involved. So here it is, a sure winner and a must try recipe.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves: 4-5

Ingredients

Seer Fish – 15 boneless pieces cut into 1 inch strips
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder – 1-1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Egg – 1 beaten
Bread Crumbs – 1 cup spread on a plate
Oil – as needed for deep frying

Method

1.      Rinse the fish pieces in 2 changes of water till the water runs clear. Handle gently. Pat dry and set aside.

2.      In a bowl, mix lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic paste, red chilli powder and salt to make the marinade. Dump the fish pieces into the marinade and mix well so that all the fish pieces are well coated in the marinade. Let rest for 20 minutes.

3.      Pick one fish piece at a time, dip into the beaten egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place the prepared fish fingers in an air-tight box and refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for an hour. You can freeze these for up to 2 days, thaw them in the fridge before deep frying them.

4.      To deep fry the fish fingers, heat oil in a kadai/skillet and when hot, drop the fish fingers into the oil without crowding the skillet. Deep-fry till golden brown all over. Remove the fried fingers onto absorbent paper. Serve hot with mayonnaise.

Notes

1.      I used Seer fish/Vanjaram because it has minimal bones and is ideal for fish fingers. You can use any other fish as well. You can get the fish cleaned and cut into these strips at the fish market itself. Just make sure to give precise instruction, conveying how you’re going to cook them.

2.      You can freeze the marinated, dipped and rolled fish fingers for up to 2 days. Thaw in the fridge till soft and then deep fry in hot oil.

3.      You can use powdered rusk instead of bread crumbs for a crunchier, crispier exterior.