Fishless Finger Sarnie
Honestly, this is one of our all-time favourite things to make for lunch. A proper fishless finger sarnie; crispy tofu fingers marinated in lemon, caper brine and nori to give them that brilliant seaside flavour, stuffed into soft bread with minty mashed peas. It tastes like a chippy trip to the coast, no fish required. The textures are spot on too: crunchy outside, tender inside, creamy peas, and that salty hit from the capers. Trust us on this one, once you've made it you'll be having it on rotation.
Before You Start
- Colander
- Potato masher
- Wide shallow pasta bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Tofu marinated in caper brine & nori for at least 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp caper brine
- 1 tbsp nori sprinkles
- 4 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp water
- 4 tbsp golden breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil
- 1 x 280g block of firm tofu
- 2 tbsp mint jelly
- 1 tbsp plant-based butter
- 150g frozen peas
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 4 tbsp plant-based mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 gherkin
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- tbsp plant-based butter
- 4 slices of sourdough bread
Method
Prepare the tofu
- Cut the tofu into 6 fingers
- Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the wide shallow pasta bowl
- Add the caper brine and nori sprinkles to the bowl and stir to combine
- Add the tofu fingers to the bowl, turn to coat and leave to marinate
Make the minted mashed peas
- Add the peas to the saucepan, put the pan on the stove, cover with boiling water and simmer the peas until cooked through
- Drain the peas with a colander and shake off the excess water
- Warm the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the mint jelly and stir to combine
- Add the peas to the saucepan with a little salt and pepper and stir to coat
- Take the pan off the heat and gently mash the peas with a potato masher or the back of a fork
- Set the pan to one side
Make the super simple tartar sauce
- Dice the capers and gherkin and add to a mixing bowl with the mayo and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Stir to combine and set to one side
Make the fishless fingers
- Add the cornflour and water to a bowl and stir to make a slurry
- Add the tofu fingers to the bowl and fold to coat
- Transfer the fingers to a bowl containing the golden breadcrumbs and fold to coat
Cook the fishless fingers and assemble
- Pour 1cm vegetable oil into the frying pan and warm over medium-high heat until the end of a wooden spoon bubbles lightly
- Add the fish fingers to saucepan and fry until golden crispy, turning when needed to ensure an even cook
- Transfer the fish fingers to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain off any excess grease
- Assemble your sarnies, butter the bread and build the sandwiches your way using the peas, tartar sauce and fish fingers
- Serve immediately and tuck in
Tips & Variations
- Press your tofu well: The drier the tofu before it hits the marinade, the better it soaks up all those flavours. Even 10 minutes under something heavy makes a real difference.
- Nori sprinkles are key: If you can't find pre-made nori sprinkles, just blitz a sheet of nori in a blender or crumble it with your fingers. It's that seaside smell that makes this whole thing work.
- Load up the peas: Henry always adds a bit of extra mint to the mashed peas. It sounds simple but it really lifts the whole sarnie and cuts through the richness beautifully.
Why This Works
The trick is in that marinade. Caper brine and nori are doing serious heavy lifting here, giving the tofu a briny, oceanic depth that makes it taste genuinely fishy without anything from the sea. We find that even a short marinate makes a huge difference, so don't skip it even if you're in a rush.