Spiced Cod Fish Finger Recipe

This spiced cod fish finger recipe is great to make with and for your kids! They're so easy for children to make and far healthier than bought fish fingers as you know exactly what is in them! I've added dukkah to my breadcrumbs as this North African spice blend gives them a lovely nutty flavour.

I have to admit that I am giving this recipe a bit of a facelift. These cod fish fingers are so good and I really wanted them to look as good as they taste. They are made from fresh white fish, coated in a slighly spiced flour, dipped in egg and then coated in breadcrumbs mixed with dukkah. They are not your average fish finger from the freezer, they really are a little bit special.

What is dukkah?

I added dukkah to the breadcrumbs to make these fish fingers slightly spicy. Dukkah or duqqa is a spice blend made up of herbs, spices and ground nuts. It is originally from Egypt but has started to become more popular here now and you can even buy it in the supermarket.

It is often eaten with bread and olive oil. You dip a little bread in the oil and then dip it in the dukkah.

If you like dukkah then you might also like my olive and dukkah pasta recipe.

Ingredient notes for spicy cod fish fingers

To make these spiced cod fish fingers you'll need:

• Fish - I used cod but you could use haddock, pollock or colley. Any firm fish would work well. You could even use trout or salmon. It is best to get skinless boneless fish so that you don't need to worry about bones and don't need to take the skin off the fish. Unless you like the skin of course. I like crispy fried fish skin but take it off for these fish fingers.
• Plain flour - This is for coating the fish with which helps the egg stick to the fish.
• Cayenne pepper - I use this for seasoning the flour along with a little salt. You could use paprika instead.
• Egg - This is for coating the fish so the breadcrumbs stick. Sometimes I replace the flour and egg with mayonnaise which is actually much simpler and easier.
• Breadcrumbs - You can use homemade or bought breadcrumbs. If you are making them yourself just let some bread dry out by baking it in a low oven then break it up and blitz it in a food processor.
• Dukkah - This is the main spice blend which I add to the breadcrumbs. Of course, you can try a different spice blend. Ras el hanout also works really well.

How do you make spicy cod fish fingers

These homemade cod and dukkah spiced fish fingers are really simple to make. First, remove any bones by feeling along the fish and then pulling them out. Also take off the skin if it has skin on.

Next, slice the fish into fingers about 1-2cm wide.

Lightly oil or cover a baking tray with baking paper.

Prepare 3 bowls. One with flour and cayenne pepper in. The next with a beaten egg in and the third with breadcrumbs and dukkah.

Take each piece of fish. Coat it in the flour, dip it in the egg and then roll it in the breadcrumbs. Put it on the baking tray.

When all the fish fingers are prepared, bake them in a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes. Or air fry for 10 minutes.

Can you adapt this cod fish finger recipe?

You could of course adapt these to use any dried herbs or spices instead of the dukkah. You could even just miss it out altogether. If your family really love dukkah then add a little more.

You could also use a different kind of fish. As long as it doesn't have bones and is chunky enough to be cut into fingers then it'll work.

Can you cook the fish fingers in the air fryer?

Yes, I often cook these fish fingers in the air fryer. They take just 10 minutes at 180C.

What can you do with the leftovers?

Any leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven for 5 minutes. If you reheat in the microwave they will go soggy.

Although you can reheat them I always prefer to eat them when they are fresh as fish can easily dry out and I find they are never quite as good when reheated.

What to eat with homemade fish fingers?

Well, my kids love to eat these with chips and often I'll make homemade chips in the air fryer. You can also serve them with a baked potato or in a fish finger sandwich!

Can children make fish fingers?

Oh yes! When I first posted this recipe the fish fingers really did look a mess. Not because they didn't taste good but because my 2 year old daughter had made them! She did a great job and could probably have broken the world record for speed as she threw them from one bowl to the next and onto the baking tray. At the time, it would have taken me far longer!

So, if you have young kids, do get them involved in making these as it's a really fun meal to prepare.

Recipe

More Fish Recipes

Are you looking for more fish recipes? Why not try one of these:

• Pesto Crusted Sea Bass
• Sea Bass with Tarator Sauce
• Baked cod with chorizo crust
• Spicy fish pakoras
• Brazilian fish bake
• Sea bass with green herb salsa

If you're just looking for easy tasty dinner ideas then do check out my recipe collection for easy spicy recipes.

Keep in touch

Do let me know if you make these spiced cod fish fingers or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.

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