Crispy Fish Goujons Recipe

These crispy fish goujons are made with firm white fish, a light soda-water batter and panko breadcrumbs, then fried until golden and crunchy. Egg-free, dairy-free and ready in about 30 minutes.

📝 Ingredients

• 400 grams firm white fish fillets, such as cod or hake
• 200 grams panko breadcrumbs
• 220 grams plain flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• few grinds of black pepper
• 350 millilitres cold soda water
• oil for frying (enough to fill the saucepan 3-4cm deep)
• 100 grams mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• zest of half a lemon
• 1 tablespoon chopped chives

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1--- Prepare the fish and coating ---
2. 2Cut the fish into strips. For standard-sized cod or hake fillets, slicing each fillet lengthways down the middle usually gives you nicely sized goujons.
3. 3Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper to remove surface moisture.
4. 4Place a double layer of kitchen paper on a clean plate for draining the cooked goujons.
5. 5Spread half of the panko breadcrumbs onto a plate or shallow dish. Keep the rest aside and top up as needed.
6. 6In a large, shallow bowl, mix the plain flour, salt and black pepper with a fork.
7. 7Add the cold soda water and whisk until smooth and lump-free. The batter should be thick enough to coat the fish, but loose enough for the excess to drip off.
8. 8Arrange your bowls from left to right: fish, batter and panko breadcrumbs.
9. 9--- Coat and fry the goujons ---
10. 10Dip one strip of fish into the batter and turn it until fully coated.
11. 11Lift it out and let the excess batter drip back into the bowl before placing the fish onto the breadcrumbs.
12. 12Using your clean hand, sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top of the fish before turning it. This helps keep the crumb bowl dry.
13. 13Repeat until all the fish strips have been dipped in batter and coated in panko breadcrumbs.
14. 14Heat 3-4cm of oil in a deep, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat.
15. 15To test the oil, drop in a few breadcrumbs. If they sizzle straight away, the oil is ready. Turn the heat down to medium before adding the fish.
16. 16Carefully lower the fish strips into the hot oil, placing them away from you to avoid splashes. Fry in a single layer, leaving space between each piece.
17. 17Gently move the goujons with tongs just after adding them, so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
18. 18Fry for 3 minutes, then turn the goujons over.
19. 19Fry for a further 2 minutes, then turn them again.
20. 20Fry for 1 final minute, or until golden, crisp and cooked through. Transfer to the kitchen-paper-lined plate with a slotted spoon and repeat with the remaining fish.
21. 21--- Make the garlic mayo ---
22. 22Add all the garlic mayo ingredients to a small bowl and mix until combined. Serve with the hot fish goujons.