Extra Crispy Salmon Fingers With Homemade Tartar Sauce & Broccoli Slaw

When my kids were little, fish fingers was one of their favorite meal with peas, carrot sticks and mashed potatoes. They always wanted the fish fingers to be extra crispy. So I always made them at home with chunky pieces of salmon or cod and pan fried them for that extra crispy texture. As they grew older they wanted more substantial meals and I stopped making fish fingers or fish sticks as they are called in the U.S.

Last week my daughter reminded me how much she loved fish sticks and we hadn’t made it in years. So in the current situation that we are in I thought it would be nice to make things that reminded us of their childhood. Only this time we made it a bit grown up with tartar sauce, broccoli slaw and of course a side of chilled beer.

Salmon works really well in this recipe, but it works with any firm white fish like cod, halibut, red snapper. Make sure the fish is firm, and cut into 1.5-2 inch pieces to get good chunky pieces.

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EXTRA CRISPY SALMON FINGERS, SERVES 4 AS A MEAL FOR 2 ADULTS N 2 KIDS,

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½  lbs skinless salmon fillets, sliced into about 1.5-2 inch thickness
• sea salt, go easy as the slaw and sauce will be well seasoned
• Generous amounts of fresh cracked black pepper, about ½ – 3/4 teaspoons
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional, but recommended
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning, optional, but recommended 
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs, regular or gluten free
• 3-4 tablespoons  avocado oil, rice bran or any good neutral oil

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut salmon into about 1.5-2 inch wide strips. 
• Pat the salmon strips with a kitchen paper, then season the fish generously with the salt and pepper.
• In a bowl whisk the egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and water until well blended and foamy. 
• In a separate bowl, place the panko breadcrumbs. 
• Dip each salmon stick into the egg mixture and roll to coat evenly.
• Shake off excess. 
• Now dip the salmon into the panko to coat all over. Set aside on a clean plate and continue until all of the salmon is panko’ed. 
• PROTIP: Use separate hands for egg dipping and rolling in breadcrumb, this prevents crumbs caking on the fingers.
• Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. When warmed gently lay the salmon sticks in the oil without over crowding.
• Fry on each side until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 4 minutes each side, keep checking to prevent burning. Transfer when salmon sticks are golden on to a paper-towel lined plate. 
• Serve salmon sticks with broccoli slaw, tartar sauce or ketchup if you have to.
• Enjoy with a chilled beer!

BROCCOLI SLAW

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce bag broccoli slaw mix ( I used store bought for convenience, for homemade shred 1-2 broccoli stems, ½ carrot and 1/4 head green cabbage)
• 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
• ½ cup light greek yogurt
• 2-3 tablespoons mayo
• 2 tablespoons dried unsweetend cranberries or any small dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons roasted sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley, optional

Instructions

• Place the broccoli slaw and cabbage in a large bowl. Add the dried berries and almonds.
• In a small cup, add mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, maple, and lime juice. Whisk together with a fork and pour half of dressing over broccoli slaw.
• Toss slaw together to make sure its well coated. Add additional dressing as needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Mix well.
• Add chopped parsley as garnish (optional).

• TARTAR SAUCE
• ¼ cup homemade or good quality store-bought Mayo
• ¼ cup full fat Greek yogurt or sour cream I like Forager cashew sour cream
• 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 medium dill relish, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2-1 teaspoon any hot sauce like tabasco or Mexican habernero
• sea salt and black pepper as needed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor pulse about 3-4 pulses times till capers and dill relish are finely chopped but not smooth. .
2. Transfer into a small bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes in the fridge before serving.
3. Serve with fish sticks or any fried foods.