Home made fish fingers - baked, not fried

If you ask most British adults to name one of their favourite foods from childhood, I guarantee almost everyone will mention fish fingers. The taste is memorable, in that kid friendly bland type of way, flaky white fish fillet enveloped in seasoned breadcrumbs usually served alongside a plate of crisp chips and sweet tomato sauce, but it's more than that. Fish fingers are an ultimate comfort food, reminding us of happy, carefree days when our mums and dads would shout upstairs to us that dinner or tea was ready. If you were lucky like my family, every meal would be eaten round a table together, chatting and watching Coronation street or Eastenders between mouth fulls. The fish finger dinner would be waited for with great anticipation, "It's fish fingers tonight" mum would say, "yeahhhhh!" we would respond. If you think I'm waxing lyrical over a frozen convenience food not fit for gourmet consumption, think again: Behold, a paragraph taken directly from the mighty Nigel Slater in his beloved The kitchen Diaries:

The urge for fish fingers and peas gets the better of me. As I am waiting to pay in the corner shop, a total stranger turns to me and says, "Well, well, Nigel Slater with a bag of frozen peas!"...