A fish finger sandwich or butty is one of the simplest and most satisfying sarnies to make, my version comes with a homemade tartar sauce.
Even with with homemade tartar sauce this comes together in under 30 minutes, and don’t worry, you can use store-bought tartar. I’ve also got instructions for making tartar sauce from store-bought mayonnaise!
Fish Finger Butty with Homemade Tartar Sauce
I have a deep love for fish fingers that dates back to my childhood. They were ever present and to be honest, probably the most common way that I consumed fish growing up.
Now I’m a fully-fledged grown-up that writes the shopping list, my tastes are a little more eclectic.
Fish fingers still make an appearance every so often though. I even have a couple of recipes here, a fun fish finger curry and a super fish finger and baked bean pie that shares the same ideas as the classic shepherd’s pie.
My latest offering is the majestic fish finger butty, a stonkingly good sandwich that I’ve always loved.
If I’ve been out on the beer in the afternoon this is so often what I munch on when I get home, although I would usually smother it in ketchup!
This version is the one that I make when I feel like putting in a little more effort.
Crispy fish fingers, well buttered bread, gherkins and my very own homemade tartar sauce.
It may sound a bit “posh” and time-consuming, but you can make the sauce in the time it takes to cook the fish fingers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What bread should I use?
I have a strong preference towards soft white bread for this sandwich because it helps hold everything together.
I use a farmhouse-style loaf which is the perfect size for 3 chunky fish fingers.
Should I toast the bread?
I don’t like toasted bread on a fish finger butty, it becomes too firm and it squishes the fish fingers too much when you eat it. But, it’s your sandwich, if you prefer toasted bread you should absolutely do that.
What fish fingers do you use?
I avoid the standard cheap small fish fingers in this recipe, the fish is often really mushy the crumb is often all a bit “un-crumb” like. There is also far too high a crumb-to-fish ratio.
All supermarkets make “luxury” fish fingers and the ones I use from this recipe come from Marks & Spencer’s (oo get me).
Lidl makes a decent fish finger in their “Deluxe” line, although the fish is just a little mushy.
Sainsbury’s makes a fantastic chunky fish finger, but their size is all wrong for making a butty.
What is the best way to cook fish fingers?
I’ve listed 4 ways to cook fish fingers in my recipe, the oven, air fryer, grill and frying pan.
If I am making a butty without any chips/fries as a side I cook them in the air fryer, if I am making some chips or fries then I use the oven.
I usually avoid the frying pan method as the fish fingers can become a little oily. The grill gives great results but it is a much more hands-on process, and as a result, I rarely cook fish fingers that way.
Serving Suggestions
In these pictures, I’ve served my fish finger sandwiches with some French fries that I cooked in an air fryer and an extra dollop of tartar sauce.
Sweet potato fries would give a different vibe and are delicious with a fish finger butty!
You could also add some proper chip shop style fried chips and they would be awesome.
Although I’m much more likely to add a bowl of crisps and a little side salad with some extra pickles.
Finally, don’t @ me about the tartar sauce, if you want tomato ketchup on your butty you should absolutely do that!
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Your chosen method for cooking the fish fingers, oven, air fryer, grill or hob/stovetop. If you are using the hob you will also need a frying pan.
- Spatula for flipping and serving the fish fingers.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Mixing bowl if you are making homemade tartar sauce.
- Whisk and spoons, again only needed if you are making homemade tartar sauce.
Fish Finger Sandwich Recipe
The glory that is the fish finger sandwich or butty has always been a favourite of mine, my youthful love for it to be slathered with tomato ketchup has been replaced with my need to consume more of my favourite homemade tartar sauce with fresh dill! It's quick, simple and all sorts of magic.
Ingredients
- 6 (400g) Chunky Fish Fingers
- 4 Slices (Thick) Farmhouse Style White Bread
- 40g (2-3 Tbsp) Softened Butter
- 6 Gherkins
For the Homemade Tartar Sauce:
- 1 Large Egg Yolk (at Room Temperature)
- ½ Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 125ml (½ Cup) Groundnut or Rapeseed
- 20g (2 Tbsp) Capers
- 25g (2-3 Tbsp) Cornichons
- 2-3 Tsp Pickling Juices from the Cornichons
- ¼ Tsp Salt
- 20g (⅓-½ Packed Cup) Fresh Dill
How to Make Tartar Sauce From Store Bought Mayo:
- 60-75g (¼-½ Cup) Mayonnaise
- ¼ Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 10g (1 Tbsp) Capers
- 10-15g (1½ Tbsp) Cornichons
- 1½ Tsp Pickling Juices from the Cornichons
Instructions
- Cook your fish fingers using your desired method, the packet will give you some indication as they vary according to size, but I have listed some rule-of-thumb timings below:
To Air Fry Fish Fingers:
- Place in an air fryer at 200°C or 390°F for 14-18 minutes.
To Oven Bake Fish Fingers:
- Place the fish fingers on a baking tray and then pop them in the oven at 220°C or 430°F for 15-18 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
To Fry Bake Fish Fingers:
- Heat a shallow pool of oil in a 30cm or 12" frying pan and heat over a medium-high heat, add the fish fingers and cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping them regularly.
To Grill Fish Fingers:
- Heat your grill to a medium-high heat, place your fish fingers on a grill pan and cook them under the grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping them every 2 minutes.
To make the Homemade Tartar Sauce (Do this whilst the fish fingers are cooking):
- Add the egg yolk and Dijon mustard to a bowl and whisk until combined.
- Add half a teaspoon of oil and whisk until completely emulsified, then add a teaspoon of oil and whisk again until your mix is completely emulsified.
- Repeat this process until all of the oil is added and you have a thick mayo, as you get past the first 3-4 teaspoons you can start adding more oil at a time.
- Dice the cornichons and add them to the mayonnaise.
- Roughly chop the capers and add them to the mayonnaise.
- Finely chop the dill, add it to the mayo with the salt then stir it.
- Have a taste and add in the pickling juices from the cornichons, you should do this to taste. You can also swap this out for vinegar or even lemon juice.
To make the Tartar Sauce with Store-Bought Mayonnaise (Do this whilst the fish fingers are cooking):
- Add the mayonnaise and mustard to a bowl and stir.
- Dice the cornichons and add them to the mayonnaise.
- Roughly chop the capers and add them to the mayonnaise.
- Finely chop the dill and add it to the mayo then stir.
- Have a taste and add in the pickling juices from the cornichons, you should do this to taste, add salt if required.
Finally, Build that Fish Finger Butty!
- Butter the bread generously.
- Slice the gherkins and lay them on the bottom piece of bread.
- Add the fish fingers.
- Generously slather on the tartar sauce to the top slice of bread, pop it on the sandwich and get stuck in.
Notes
If you are using homemade tartar sauce you will only need a third to half of it to make this sandwich. The rest can be stored in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
If you are making this with store-bought mayo, my sizing should be about right.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 874Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 1222mgCarbohydrates: 66gFiber: 4gSugar: 1gProtein: 22g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.