Get Ahead Salmon Nuggets

We all have those days, weeks… or even months when we’re pulled in different directions and one thing we wish we had more control over is mid-week meals. I run out of the house most days with nothing more than a coffee in me.

Those days are usually the ones when I work through my lunch and battle the M6 on my way home. Five minutes from home I start getting excited about cooking dinner – said no one, ever! For most of us, mid-week meals are not the time for anything remotely complicated. The easier the better! But I do love food and what I have for my dinner forms at least 20% of my work chat. So I like to make some of my favourite get ahead family meals whenever I can.

I think all families, regardless of their circumstances, can relate to this. That’s why my August blogs will celebrate my favourite get ahead family meals. As we gear up for the new academic year, perhaps this is the best time to learn some new tricks. I hope you can cook along with me and try these recipes out.

My get ahead family meals allow me to restore some mid-week balance when the last thing I want to do is start cooking something fresh. These salmon nuggets freeze so well, taste amazing and most importantly they are loved by our whole family!

I adapted this recipe when my first child was little. We had been on holiday to Anglesey and we had done what we do on all our holidays -eat! Anywhere that had homemade fish fingers on the kids menu got our collective vote! On returning from that holiday I decided to start making my own breaded fish and after experimenting I found Salmon works a treat!

Perfect for busy families

I always batch make a bunch of these for the freezer but I make extra so we can have some fresh on the day. If you’re anything like me, you will make this on a weekend. I don’t know why, because it’s not taxing, but it does work better if you are organised and weekends tend to be that time for me. The prep doesn’t take much more than 15 minutes when you get set up and into the swing of it. It’s also a great way to get kids used to eating fish!

These Salmon Nuggets are very versatile – you can swap out salmon for other fish and you can change the flavours to suit your family’s taste. The flavour is in the crumb so you can even have a few flavours for different people (paprika, cajun or coriander & lime zest). We are making these ones with oregano and lemon zest which is just delicious. I always feel like I am winning at life when I open the freezer and find get ahead family meals in there… and these salmon nuggets get a big thumbs up from us!

This recipe works better if you get super organised. Get everything out and in bowls. I keep a little bowl of water to the side as your hands will get sticky. I always create a conveyor which is a really great way to involve young children… they can each be responsible for an area of the conveyor!

One last thing to note – I am not a chef. So my approach is very much home cooking. I am not fancy and I tend to do what I know works for us. The biggest challenge I face, as I share my ideas, is structuring them in a way that makes sense to you. My style is to add a bit of this and a bit of that and I can’t say I am one for measuring… but I have tried my very hardest to bring you a more focused and easy to follow recipe below. I hope you like it. Recipe makes more than enough for 2 adults and 2 children.

Get Ahead Salmon Nuggets

Gemma

These Salmon Nuggets are very versatile – you can swap out salmon for other fish and you can change the flavours to suit your family’s taste. The flavour is in the crumb so you can even have a few flavours for different people (paprika, cajun or coriander & lime zest). We are making these ones with oregano and lemon zest which is just delicious.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Fish, Main Course

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 3 dishes/mixing bowls/plates
• a large baking tray
• bowl with fresh cold water and a tea towel – for your hands

Ingredients

  

• 4 salmon fillets
• 2 unwaxed lemons
• 60 g Panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp oregano to taste
• 40 g flour whatever kind you have in
• 2 eggs
• cracked black pepper to taste
• olive oil

Instructions

 

• If your salmon fillets have the skin on, carefully remove it. This video How To De-Skin A Fish Fillet is a very good demonstration! Don't copy me because I cut toward myself in the video. I fry my skins in olive oil for a crispy salad garnish.
• Cut your fillets into chunks. I like to go big (I cut mine into 3 if they are small fillets) bigger nuggets are more juicy nuggets… too small and I think they start to dry.
  
• Season your Panko. I added the zest of 1.5 lemons and 3tbsp of oregano to the Panko with a few grinds of cracked black pepper (I don’t add salt as I am cooking for small children but you can) mix this bowl so the flavours are evenly distributed.
• Create your conveyor – in your first dish add the flour, then add and beat the eggs in the second dish, finally add your Panko to the third dish. At the end of your conveyor have a baking tray/roasting tin ready for the finished nugget to sit on.
  

Breading your fish

• With one hand take a piece of fish and roll it in the flour covering all the edges. Give it a little shake so all the excess falls away.
• Still using the same hand drop the fish in the egg wash.
• Now using your other hand roll the fish through the egg coating all sides and let the excess drop back into the bowl.
• Still using that hand take the fish and roll it generously through the Panko crumbs. You want the fish to be really well covered.
• Pop the nugget on the baking tray/roasting tin.
• Once you have finished all the nuggets, separate the ones you want to cook and eat now from the ones you plan to freeze.

Freezing

• I portion them up in take away boxes and I don’t overcrowd a box. You don’t want them touching or you will end up with them all frozen together. I love being able to take out the exact amount I need and put the rest back. Always label and date the box when freezing… I have never frozen them for longer than a month – they haven’t lasted that long in this house.

Cooking your nuggets

• Place your nuggets on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and cook until you are happy that the crumb in golden and that the fish is cooked thoroughly. If you are unsure, always check the biggest one before you serve them!
  
• In my oven, these cook from fresh within 20 minutes at 180ºC (fan) 356ºF gas mark 4. I usually turn the oven to 200ºC for the last 10 mins. But it varies every time based on the size of the nuggets so I always check them before serving.
• When I cook pre-made salmon nuggets I add 10 mins to the cooking time and I always check they are cooked thoroughly.

Video

Notes

Just to be clear I freeze the nuggets raw so I label the box raw in case it’s not me who is cooking that night.

Keyword get ahead salmon nuggets

If you have a family favourite freezer friendly feast up your sleeve we would love to cook it! Get in touch to share your recipes and ideas with The Family Feed community and follow us on Instagram @familyfeedinsta to share your Get Ahead Salmon Nuggets (if you have time!)