Fish Fingers and Custard

From the Doctor Who television series  

  Image from The Geeky Chef Cookbook  

 Alright, Whovians, brace yourselves! You’ve been asking (and asking and asking) and now you've got your wish. Fish Fingers and Custard—also known as Fish Custard—is a dish made famous by the 11th Doctor shortly after his dramatic regeneration. This quirky combo has a deep emotional connection to the Doctor’s unique bond with Amelia Pond, and you can catch the scene in all its glory here.  

Let’s be honest: Fish Fingers and Custard sounds like something only a time-traveling, alien genius with questionable taste buds and with weird pregnancy-like cravings could love. Not exactly a dish you’d see at your average dinner table. In reality, Matt Smith, the actor who portrays the 11th Doctor, was munching on breaded coconut cakes during that iconic scene. Talk about movie magic, right?

So, what are we left with? Two options: either turn the fish fingers into something pastry-like (because, why not?), or transform the custard into a savory creation that actually goes with fried fish. While there are plenty of recipes out there that make this dish more dessert-like (if that’s your thing, check out this one) but, with just a few exceptions, I don't like to venture into sweet territory unless it’s supposed to be dessert. So, I took a savory route! My version features crispy panko and coconut-battered fried fish fingers (coconut as a nod to the original scene, of course) and a zesty lemon honey mustard dipping sauce that basically looks like custard but tastes way better. The flavor combo, like the Doctor, is out of this world!

Ingredients:

For the fish fingers:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbs. milk
• 1lb tilapia filets, cut into 1 inch strips (cod or haddock will also work)
• 1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
• 1 cup of coconut flakes
• Frying oil (for frying)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the custard:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tbsps yellow mustard (prepared)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsps honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:

1. Make sure fish is cut into 1 inch thick strips.  
2. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.  
3. Beat the eggs with the milk in another shallow bowl.  
4. Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut in a third shallow bowl. 
5. Coat each fish piece in seasoned flour, dip in the eggs mixture and then roll in the panko and coconut mixture.  Set aside until ready to cook. 
6. Heat a 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  In small batches, fry the fish sticks until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  
7. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  
8. To make the custard sauce simply whisk all the sauce ingredients together until smooth. 
9. Liberally dip fish fingers in the "custard" sauce and enjoy!