Fish Finger Sandwich

Ingredients

• 400 g cod fillet, cut into thick fingers
• 50 g plain flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp capers, chopped
• 2 gherkins, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 slices of soft white bread, buttered
• a handful of shredded lettuce

Method

1. Dry and season the fish

   Pat the fish fingers dry and season them. Salt on the fish itself, not just in the crumb — the coating cannot season what is underneath it.

2. Three-stage crumb

   Roll each finger in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing it on. The flour is what gives the egg something to grip; skip it and the crumb slides off in the pan.

3. Shallow fry

   Fry in the oil over a medium-high heat, turning, until deep gold on all sides and the fish is opaque, about 6 minutes. Panko browns fast, so keep the heat moderate or the fish will still be raw.

   6 min

4. Make a quick tartare

   Mix the mayonnaise with the capers, gherkins and lemon juice. It needs to be sharp — it is cutting through fried breadcrumbs.

5. Build immediately

   Spread both slices, add lettuce and the hot fish fingers, and press down. Eat now: this sandwich has a window of about three minutes at its best.