THE school holidays will be upon us before we know it and one of my favourite ways of entertaining the kids for the day is a trip to my hometown of Whitby, which holds many memories for me, not least the smell of warm malt vinegar seeping from the shoal of fish and chip shops.

Finding different ways of occupying the whole family, with a bit of an age range, is always challenging, but if you can co-ordinate this with something they then eat, that’s an extra bonus in my book.

Fish and chips may be a bit risky due to the hot oil, but my first recipe only involves shallow-frying and is straightforward enough to let the kids have a go at. The fish fingers are actually very tasty so make sure there are plenty to go around the adults too.

The second recipe is a lot more cheffy but there is no reason why they could not "help" with some elements of it, although the quenelles may be more a bit of a challenge.

Good luck and (human) fingers crossed for good weather.

Shallow-fried posh fish fingers with pea, lettuce and mint vinaigrette (serves four)

Ingredients – Fish Fingers

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1 tbsp unsalted butter

350g dry mashed potato (nothing added)

450g hot-smoked salmon, skinned and flaked

1 tbsp chopped garden herbs (parsley, chives and chervil), plus extra to garnish

½ tsp unwaxed lemon zest

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

100g breadcrumbs, flavoured with a pinch of fennel seeds

Olive oil for shallow frying

Ingredients for the dressing

2 tsp white wine vinegar

½ tsp English mustard

4 tsp olive oil

2 tsp chopped mint

100g fresh peas, cooked

75g cos, little gem or iceberg lettuce, finely shredded

Method

Lightly sweat the shallot with the butter, without colouring, then add to the mash, flaked hot-smoked salmon, herbs, lemon zest and juice, and season, if required. Let the mixture cool, then cover and chill in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 180°C, Gas mark 4. Put the flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs to coat the fingers in three separate bowls. Mould the smoked salmon mixture into approximately 6cm x 2cm x 2cm lengths. Pass the fish fingers first through the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb coatings for a second time to ensure a good coating. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Shallow-fry the fish fingers until golden brown and finish in the oven until hot through. This takes just a few minutes.

To make the dressing, mix together the vinegar and English mustard, add the oil, then the mint and peas. Toss dressing with the lettuce.

Serve four fingers per main course portion, stacking two one way and two on top, the other way. Serve immediately.

Warm sea trout mousse with a purée of Pickering watercress, shallow-fried smoked eel and horseradish "croquettes", mustard cress (serves: four)

Ingredients

For the mousse:

200g sea trout fillets, skinned and boned

75ml cream

2 egg whites

A little butter

Zest of 1 lime

White pepper and salt

A few aromats, such as star anise, etc

For the Croquettes:

50g smoked eel fillet

1 tsp horseradish, finely grated

200g mashed potato

Seasoning

1 egg and a little milk

50g flour

100g fresh breadcrumbs

Rapeseed oil for frying

For the purée:

2 bunches of watercress

50g unsalted butter

A splash of cream, approx 10ml

Seasoning

To garnish:

1 small pinch of mustard cress

Method

Preheat the oven to 110°C/ Gas Mark ½.

Place the sea trout fillets, 75ml of cream, a little lime zest and two egg whites to a food processor and blitz to a fine purée, check seasoning, then chill the purée for one hour.

Next make the croquettes, first mix the smoked eel and horseradish into the cold, mashed potato and season. Take small handfuls of the mixture and roll into small 2cm by 1cm sausage shapes, then chill. Whisk one egg with a little milk, in a small bowl, and place the flour and breadcrumbs into two more bowls. Dip the chilled potato mixture first in the flour, then in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, to coat completely. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, and fry the croquettes until golden brown. Keep warm.

Poach the sea trout mousse by simmering a little seasoned water with a few flavourings (star anise, etc) and forming "quenelles" with two tablespoons, spooning inside each other to form an oval rugby ball shape or put the mixture into a piping bag and piping 5cm lengths instead. Then cook these for four to five minutes in the water with a little buttered greaseproof paper to cover and ensure even cooking. Once cooked, remove from the liquid and drain on kitchen towel.

For the watercress purée, first wilt the watercress stalks and leaves in a little unsalted butter. Add a splash of cream. Blitz to a purée and season.

To plate, warm the croquettes and quenelles of sea trout through in the oven for three to four minutes. Place a spoonful of warm watercress purée in the centre of a warmed plate, with the croquettes at alternative "thirds" on top of the purée and the quenelles in between. Garnish with a little mustard cress and serve immediately.