PENSIONERS'/TWOSOMES' MAKE-IT-YOURSELF GIANT FISH FINGERS: easy, quick, wallet-friendly, low salt & preservatives

Everyone loves fish fingers, and they're even better and cheaper if home-made...

Easy-peasy fish fingers using unprocessed white fish & crisp cornflake coating
'...deliciously crispy; the fish was beautifully cooked' Taster

Coley is one of those fishes that is prized by the budget-conscious shopper. 

A member of the cod and haddock family, coley is considered inferior probably due to its off-white, slightly grey colour.  Coley also has large flakes which separate easily.  

But despite similar nutritional profiles to cod or haddock, coley is much lower in price.  And treated well, it tastes great.     

It's not necessarily frugal to buy, however.  A 552gm/19.5oz packet of 6 frozen coley portions is over £6 (although that's just a pound a portion, it could take a big chunk out of your protein budget 'cause it's not all going to be eaten right away).  Fresh filets are over £5 for a 400g/14oz packet. (Feb/23).  (A fish monger may provide lower prices for individual filets.)

Coley is particularly good in sauces (see 67goingon50's Curried Fish 'Pie') and fish pies.  But it's also (as 67 recently discovered) rather nice as giant fish fingers.

67 likes coley portions for fish fingers; they're just the right size and very easy to deal with - no fuss, no bother; the only thing you need is a very sharp knife.  

If you're using fresh white fish filets which are not the required thickness, try layering them in a loaf pan and freezing them before slicing and battering (67 has not tested this method but would if budget permitted!). 

Giant fish fingers are great for using up end-of-the-packet cornflakes, polenta or breadcrumbs   

Cost: £2.50'ish (Feb'23)

Makes: 4 large fingers; recipe multiplies easily

Ingredients:

2 defrosted Waitrose coley portions 

1/3 cup flour, well-seasoned with salt & pepper

1 egg beaten (or equiv milk or yoghurt)

1/2 cup crushed cornflakes (or polenta or fresh/purchased breadcrumbs)

Optional: lemon zest, parsley, chilli flakes

3-4 tbsp oil (sunflower or olive or a mixture)

Method:

Equipment: 8 inch/20cm non stick frying pan; tongs

1. Heat frying pan over medium high with a generous layer of oil
2. If adding lemon zest or chopped parsley to coating, stir a generous portion into flour
3. Place flour, egg and crumbs in three separate good-sized flat plates
4. Cut coley portions in half vertically, forming two fat fingers
5. Dip one-by-one first in flour, shake off excess; then in egg, covering completely; drop into crumbs, coating the fish finger all over 
6. Test the temperature of the oil; it should be 180C/350F.  If you don't have a thermomenter,  drop in a few clumps of the egg/cornflake mixture; they should sizzle nicely and begin to brown, but not too fast 
7. Add fish fingers, leaving a bit of space in between; the oil should come a little way up the finger; if not, add a little more
8. Cook 4 mins on one side until golden (watch they don't burn), gently turn over with tongs and cook a further 3-4 mins; rest on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil
9. Serve with salad, tomato ketchup or mayonnaise or a yoghurt-mayo-tomato paste dressing

Notes: Coley is fished sustainably in the Northeast Atlantic.  It's available fresh or frozen but best avoided fresh from Jan to March.  Waitrose is 67's source for coley and the Blogger likes to keep a packet of  portions in the freezer whenever possible -- coley sells out very quickly. Standard economy fish fingers are usually made from minced fish frozen in blocks.  Coley portions are pieces frozen in blocks.

Comments:

'These were so easy and quick and  much better than supermarket fish fingers.  The topping was deliciously crispy and the fish beautifully cooked. I enjoyed every mouthful and will definitely make them again.'  Retired writer.  

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These recipe, except where stated, have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.