Having spent some time in quarantine, at this point, our kids are clawing at the walls. To stave off a complete takeover of our home, I’m feeding them well. Recently, I figured I would create a delicious fish recipe that is kid friendly, healthy and easy to make.

These homemade wild fish fingers are just the ticket. You can even batter the fish in advance and freeze until a time when you’re ready to bake, making it a clutch mid-week dinner.

This recipe is intended to take the place of the commercial fish sticks you get in the frozen food aisle of the supermarket. Using fresh, wild, healthy fish will yield much better flavors while undoubtedly satisfying the little creatures running amock in your home. 

The mashed potatoes that I made with this dish are absolutely divine, and I encourage you to give them a shot as well. It is among my favorite spud sides.

Wild Fish Sticks 

Ingredients:

Fish Sticks 

• 1 lb. white, flaky yet firm white fish (such as catfish, snapper, cod, bass)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp paprika
• Zest from 1 lemon
• 1 cup of flour
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• 1 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Tasty Mashed Potatoes

• 5 lbs. of red potatoes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup of milk

Cooking Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove top. Once the water begins to boil, add the potatoes and allow to cook for approximately 20 minutes or until a fork easily sticks into the potato.
2. Once cooked, remove the pot from the stove and drain the water. Slightly mash all the potatoes in the pot then add the salt, white pepper, garlic powder, butter and milk. Finish mashing the potatoes.
3. Slice each fish fillet into approximately ¾-inch strips, cutting the fillet lengthwise. Lay out the fish and amply season each piece with the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Zest a lemon over the pieces.
4. Add the Italian seasonings to the breadcrumbs and mix well. This will give you some extra flavor in addition to the already seasoned breadcrumbs. Whisk the mustard into the egg wash mixture.
5. Add the flour to its own bowl. Roll each piece of fish in the flour, then dip the fish in the egg wash, and then dredge the fish in the breadcrumbs. Place each piece of fish on a parchment-paper-covered baking sheet. Spray the fish sticks on the top with cooking spray. I recommend coconut cooking spray or grapeseed cooking spray.You can also use a brush and lightly coat each fish finger with oil.
6. Place the sheet in the oven and cook for approximately 20 minutes, flipping once one side is golden brown. Spray the other side of the sticks with oil and cook until finished.
7. Once golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Serve with ketchup, tartar sauce, rémoulade or even BBQ sauce.

:: Discover More Field To Table Recipes :: 

:: Learn More About Backcountry Hunters & Anglers ::

Photos By Justin Townsend of Harvesting Nature 

Follow Him On Instagram at @harvestingnature