Fish Fingers and Custard Day: A Popular Snack One Can’t Have Enough Of

Some say that curry means the juices from a meal after cooking, but we have iconic dishes like Maanga Curry, which neither has juice from meats. Nevertheless, the ubiquitous curry has found a place in the hearts of many people and on the menu of many restaurants across the globe, thanks to its popularity boom post the creation of the iconic Madras Curry Powder. Made to cater to the palettes of British post-colonization, this powder is subtle, flavourful, and perfect for the palettes of the Brits.

Fish o fish

Chef Subhash Ullal, the Former Alumnus of Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, states that "hailing from the quaint coastal city of Mangaluru, fish has been an integral part of my culture. Fish is a staple to my diet and is consumed in all possible forms that one can think of. May it is curries, a nice dry fish chammandhi, or luscious deep fry, fish is an emotion to the people at the coast. Packed with the goodness of boneless fish, restaurants today have come up with multiple marinations and seasonings, making it a popular snack across the globe."

Chef further adds that "modern renditions of this ubiquitous ingredient have developed into various forms in the menus of all categories of restaurants, and the most popular one, in my opinion, is the fish fingers, a snack one can’t say no to, and one cannot have enough of. The texture play is what makes this dish very fascinating. The crispy crumb of the bread and the soft flakiness of the fish is a valid marriage of joy to the tastebuds. The tartar sauce served alongside reminds me of my childhood favourite, custard. A combination of eggs, milk, and sugar can rarely go wrong. Simple yet meticulously prepared custard can be an absolute delight to enjoy on its own or with fruits, tarts, and pastries. The joy of licking the empty bowl of custard takes me back on a nostalgic trip while we celebrate Fish Finger and Custard day today."

Fish Fingers & Curried Custard Recipe by Gaurav Anand, Executive Chef -Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn Bengaluru Embassy Manyata Business Park

Ingredients For Fish Fingers

• 300 Gm. Indian Seabass Fillet
• 12 Gm. Dijon Mustard
• 7 Gm. Lemon juice 
• 4 Gm. Black Pepper
• 12 Gm. Salt 
• 30 Gm Refined Flour
• 2 Large Egg
• 60 Gms Panko Bread Crumbs

Ingredients For Curried Custard

• 600 ml of full-fat milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 28 gm caster sugar
• 14 gm cornflour
• 28 gm madras curry powder

Method For Fish Fingers:

1. Clean the edges of the fish fillet and cut into fingers of 8 cm by 2 cm.
2. Drain excess water by using a dishtowel.
3. Marinate the fingers with pesto dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and black pepper.
4. Season the panko crumbs with pepper and salt.
5. Crumb the marinated fish fingers. Lightly dust with refined flour, dip in egg batter and then bread crumb. Repeat this for the whole batch.
6. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 13 minutes at 180* C until golden brown.

Instructions For Curried Custard:

1) Boil the milk, then remove it from the heat.

2) Now, set it aside to cool for a few minutes.

3) Whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour together in a large mixing basin until pale.

4) Slowly drizzle in the warm milk, a ladle at a time, stirring well after each addition.

5) In a pan, pour the mixture and cook, constantly whisking, for about 20 minutes on low heat or until thickened. Add 28 g madras curry powder to the mix.