I grew up on white fish such as cod, but pollack is another wonderful fish, perfect in my home-made fish fingers. I’m using panko breadcrumbs here, which are flakier than other crumbs and give fried food a lighter coating that stays crispy for longer. Running the crumbs through with dill makes the fish fingers more aromatic and they look fantastic. Give me these and a chip butty and I’m like a nine-year-old kid again.
Slice the fish into chunky fish finger shapes. Sprinkle lightly with salt, then cover and place in the fridge for 20–30 minutes to firm up.
Finely chop the dill and mix with the breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl. Put the flour into another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Put the beaten eggs into a third bowl.
Using kitchen paper, rub any excess salt off the fish. Dust the fish pieces in flour and shake off any excess, then dip in the egg, making sure all the sides are coated. Allow any excess to drip off, then cover in the dill breadcrumbs.
Place a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat and add enough sunflower oil to lightly coat the bottom. When hot, shallow-fry the fish fingers on either side for 3 minutes. Add the butter towards the end of the cooking timeto help the fish fingers crisp up and turn a deep golden colour.
Drain on kitchen paper if necessary and season with a pinch of sea salt before serving.