6. The Haddy Paddy
“Are you ready, kids?
I said, are you ready?
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
SpongeBob SquarePants
Absorbent and yellow and porous is he
SpongeBob SquarePants”
Only when you type those lyrics out you realise how weird they are. I’m sure much of the things we watched or read as kids were pretty strange too. It does make you wonder about the sanity of children’s book and TV writers. However, if there is one thing to take from our lives as wide eyed fledglings it’s the fish finger sandwich. Shit-dam they are good. Here is our adaption, but I think I’d rather be eating out of a grease-box on a concrete promenade with toes in the sand anticipating a vinegar hangover from hell.
A mix of haddock and cod, fluffy mashed potatoes and crispy panko breadcrumbs make for a delicious effort, especially served with fresh minty peas and homemade tar tar.
Ingredients
Makes 2 sandwiches Fish cake
250g potatoes
200g of smoked haddock
100g of cod fillet
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp of thyme
1 bay leaves
1 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 pinch of fresh tarragon, chopped
1 tbsp of chives, chopped
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 lemon, zested
200g of Panko breadcrumbs
Oil
Homemade Tartar Sauce
1 tbsp mayonaise
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tbsp gherkins, chopped
squeeze of lemon
1 tbsp fresh parsley
Salt & pepper
Smashed Minted Peas
300g frozen peas
Handful of fresh mint, chopped
Salt & pepper
Bread
White loaf:
1 tsp dried yeast
500g strong white flour
1 tbs sugar
25g soft butter
1 tsp salt
180ml milk
180ml water
Method
Bread
1) Mix the flour together with the salt, sugar and yeast, then make a well in the middle. Add the softened butter, milk and water. With your hands bring it all together into a wet dough.
2) Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for around 10 minutes until the dough it smooth and elastic.
3) Lightly oil a mixing bowl and place the dough inside and cover with a tea towel. Leave the dough to prove in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
4) Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape the dough into the size of a 1lb loaf tin and place inside. Cover the loaf with a tea towel and allow to prove, until the dough has doubled in size.
5) Preheat the over to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. When the loaf has doubled in size place in the over and bake for 20 minutes until well risen and golden brown.
6) Tip the bread out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container or it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Fishcakes
1) Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water, remove and strain when soft and mash.
2) Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the skin and bones from the fish (if not already removed) and place in a baking tray with the onion, white wine, bay leaves, garlic and thyme
3) Cover the baking tray with tin foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes – Be careful not to overcook the fish!
4) Remove from the oven (but leave the oven on) and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Discard any excess thyme and the bay leaves. Carefully transfer the fish, onion and garlic into a bowl. Flake the fish into large chunks
5) Add the rest of the chopped herbs into the bowl along with the lemon zest. Mix in the mashed potato and season with cayenne pepper.
6) Shape the mix into 6 balls and then dip each ball in breadcrumbs until well coated
5) Fry each ball in hot oil for 3 minutes until golden all over and then finish in the hot oven for a further 3 minutes.
Homemade Tartar
1) Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl and voila!
Smashed Minted Peas
1) Boil the peas for a couple of minutes, strain and place in a bowl. Smash the peas up with a potato masher, then add mint and season to taste.
