Foods of England - Fish Fingers

Fish Fingers

Fish

Now small slabs of white fish, often cod, typically 3ins by 1/2in by 1in, coated in golden-coloured crumb. Almost always commercially produced and supplied in a frozen form to be baked or fried.

Fish Fingers
Image: Unknown

'Fillet' fish fingers are formed by pressing a large mass of fish fillets together, freezing it and then cutting it into pieces while solid. It is not clear where, when, or by whom Fish Fingers were first commercialised. They seem to have first appeared as 'fish sticks' in the USA and were popularised in England almost simultaneously by the US BirdsEye company and Young's of Grimsby in the mid 1950's.

Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer - Tuesday 04 October 1955
Before that, the term had occasionally been used for a home-made version, as in;

Original Receipt in the 'Tamworth Herald' - Saturday 30 June 1900

TASTY FISH FINGERS A very useful breakfast dish can be prepared as follows: Flake and mince any cold cooked fish very finely, and mix it with two-thirds its bulk of cold cooked rice; season to taste with pepper, salt, and minced parsley, mixing it into cakes with the white of an egg; shape these neatly, brush with beaten egg, cover with breadcrumbs, and fry in plenty of hot fat to a delicate golden brown; drain well, and serve.

2015

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