Fish fingers with homemade fries and pea salad

Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside - these golden homemade fish fingers with chunky fries are the family favourite that proves healthy can still feel like a treat.

Ingredients

2 large potatoes, sliced into fries

2 white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch thick batons

2 eggs

½ cup flour

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ an avocado, diced

1 cup peas, cooked

Handful fresh watercress or other salad leaves

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / gas mark 4.

Toss the potato fries with olive oil and season well.

Bake for 25–35 minutes, until golden and crispy.

Meanwhile, assemble the pea salad: watercress, cooked peas, some chopped avocado and fresh mint.

Cut your preferred fish into batons, about an inch thick.

In a bowl, beat two eggs. In another bowl, mix flour with some salt and black pepper. Pour fresh breadcrumbs into a third bowl.

Toss the fish in the flour to coat, then dip the fish pieces into the egg and shake off the excess.

Roll the fish in breadcrumbs until well-coated and place on a baking tray.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the fish fingers.

Fry for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden, crispy and cooked through.

Arrange the cooked potato on a plate, spoon on your pea salad, and arrange your fish fingers on top.

Tips for picky eaters

Serve the pea salad on the side - let kids choose whether to try it
Use fun dipping sauces (ketchup, tartare) to encourage trying the fish
Let kids help with the breading station - dipping is fun!
Cut fries into smiley face shapes using a cookie cutter before baking
If kids won't eat avocado, simply leave it out of the salad

Healthy swaps

Instead of…	Use…	Why?
Regular breadcrumbs	Wholemeal or breadcrumbs	More fibre, crispier texture
Deep frying fish fingers	Oven-baking or pan-frying	Much less oil absorbed
White potatoes	Sweet potatoes	Higher in vitamins A and C
Plain flour	Oat flour	Added fibre and nutrients