This is an ideal time to encourage children to make homemade fish fingers. They are easy to assemble, and this recipe works well with pollock, haddock or hake. You can spice up the breadcrumbs by adding curry powder, chilli powder or sesame seeds. You could bake the fish fingers instead, in the oven at 180°C for 12 to 15 minutes. These fish fingers also freeze well.

In some parts of the country it is not so easy to get fish and here are two online fishmongers that I have bought from: in Galway, there is Gannet Fishmongers, (www.eatmorefish.ie) and in Dublin there is www.sustainableseafood.ie. They will fillet, pin bone, do all the prep and deliver to your door.

The hake tikka is a nice spicy dish. It is super quick to cook and healthy. Again you could try pollock. There are so many good Irish yoghurt producers to choose from. I visited the Dunne Family at Killowen Farm in Enniscorthy last year, and Alan and Valerie Kingston at Glenilen Farm near Drimoleague also have a great range of products. Theirs are two websites well worth visiting: killowen.ie and www.glenilenfarm.com.

Happy cooking,

Neven.

Homemade fish fingers

Serves four

500g (1¼lb) cod fillets

4 tbsp seasoned flour

Two eggs

2 tbsp milk

175g (6oz) white breadcrumbs (fresh or dried panko)

Sunflower oil, for cooking

Sweet potato fries, peas and tomato ketchup, to serve (optional)

  • 1 Beat the eggs and milk together. Cut the cod into strips and toss in the flour, then dip in the egg mix and roll in the breadcrumbs.
  • 2 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with a good splash of oil. Add the fish fingers and cook until golden. You may have to do this in batches and keep them warm in a low oven, depending on the size of your pan. Serve the fish fingers with sweet potato fries, peas and tomato ketchup, if liked.

    • Speedy hake tikka with cucumber yoghurt

    Serves four

    1 tsp curry powder

    300g (10oz) natural yoghurt

    1 heaped tbsp tomato puree

    4 x 175g (6oz) hake fillets

    2 tsp olive oil

    Four baby cucumbers, chopped

    Four peshwari naans

    Fresh coriander leaves and lemon wedges

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six).

  • 2 Mix the curry powder, tomato puree and about six tablespoons of the yoghurt.
  • 3 Season with salt and pepper.
  • 4 Put the hake on parchment paper and smear over the yoghurt mix, then drizzle with oil. Roast for eight to 10 minutes, until tender.
  • 5 Pare half of the cucumbers into ribbons and put on plates with the hake. Dice the rest of the cucumber and scatter on top. Drizzle with the rest of the yoghurt.
  • 6 Heat the naans, then cut up and put on the plates. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and lemon wedges, if liked.