The best part of cooking is that you don’t always have to follow the rules, you can make yours. If you love perch fish and you’re looking to try out new, exciting recipes, we’re here to set you on the right track. We’ve rounded up the top 5 amazing perch recipes for you to try on your next catch and cook. Here’s a look:

Top 5 Perch Recipes You Can Try

For mouth-watering results, here’s a rundown of the best perch fish recipes you can try. They cut across every taste and preference and will have you whipping up wonders in no time.

Fried White Perch

Fried white perch is the most accessible and most affordable recipe you can try. You don’t need to search too far for the ingredients as you’ll most likely have them in your home. All you need is oil, salt, pepper, and cornmeal, and you’re good to go.

Steps:

• Your first step is to clean out the white perch fish.
• After this is done, set it aside and pour out 1-2 inches of oil into a frying pan.
• Heat it over medium-high heat till it gets to 350 degrees F.
• On the other hand, pour the cornmeal into a dry pan or paper bag, and spice it up with salt and pepper.
• Dip the white perch into the cornmeal and roll it around so the flour covers most of the surface.
• Gently place 2-3 fish at a time into the hot oil to create space for them to cook properly.
• Turn the fish at intervals and fry till they’re golden brown. This should take roughly 5 minutes.
• Line a serving platter with paper towels and place the fried fish in it.
• Serve warm.

Baked Perch with Tomato Sauce and Basil

This is another easy perch recipe you can try. You only need your perch fillet, some shallot, garlic, one or two bunches of basil, olive oil, peeled tomatoes, salt, freshly ground pepper, and lemon juice.

Steps:

• Peel the shallot and basil and slice them into thin sizes.
• Rinse the basil and chop up the leaves.
• Set aside a little basil for garnish.
• Fry the garlic and shallot in hot oil till it’s translucent.
• Chop up the tomatoes and add to the pan.
• Bring it to a boil and spice it up with pepper and salt.
• Spread the tomato sauce into an oven dish and sprinkle in the chopped basil.
• Rinse the perch fillets and season with pepper, salt, and lemon juice.
• Place the perch in the tomato sauce and put the dish in the preheated oven — approximately 180-350 degrees F.
• Bake for about 20 minutes.
• When ready, serve with a sprinkle of basil for a burst of flavor.

Pink Perch Fish Curry

For this recipe, you’ll be using pink perch. Pink perch is soft, firm, and has a remarkable flavor. The best way to cook the pink perch is to make the coconut curry sauce which you can eat with a side of rice or pasta:

• Fish
• Grated coconut
• Sliced raw mango
• Slitted green chili
• Julienned ginger
• Sliced shallots
• Turmeric powder
• Coriander powder
• Kashmiri chili powder
• Salt
• Water
• Coconut oil
• Curry leaves

Steps:

• For the coconut mixture for the curry, pour the grated coconut, turmeric powder, coriander powder, Kashmiri chili powder, ginger, and salt into a blender and grind it. You can add some water to the mixture to create a smooth, thick paste.
• Place a pot on medium heat, add the coconut paste and some water.
• Add in the shallots, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves into the mix and stir.
• Bring to a boil and add in the fish fillet.
• Boil some more, then add the raw mango. Stir well.
• Close and cook gently for 15 minutes.
• Add salt and water, if necessary—cook for five more minutes.
• Check if the fish is boiled well and stir gently.
• Finally, add some coconut oil and curry leaves.
• Serve warm with rice or pasta.

Italian Pan-Fried Fish

As a main course, Italian pan-fried fish is an easy-to-make favorite. You only need five ingredients to make this family delight, including perch slices, salt, olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, and lemon juice.

Steps:

• Place the fish on a platter and sprinkle some salt and pepper.
• Preheat the olive oil in a medium-large skillet on medium-high heat.
• Add the fish with the seasoned side down.
• Sprinkle the other side with some salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and lemon slices.
• Cook for five minutes before you flip it to the other side. Cook for another 3-5 minutes when you do.
• Once the fish is flaky, remove it from the pan and serve while still hot.

Baked Parmesan Perch

If you’re looking for an interesting seafood delight, then the baked Parmesan perch is just for you. You’ll need a few ingredients, including perch strips, set bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried basil leaves, paprika, melted margarine, and chopped fresh parsley.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to about 500 degrees.
• Spray the oven pan with cooking spray.
• Mix the fillet with all the other ingredients except the bread crumbs, parsley, and margarine.
• Coat one side of the fish with margarine and dip it into the bread crumbs.
• Place the fish into the pan with the coated side up.
• Leave the pan uncovered and bake for about 10 minutes.
• When ready, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Final Thoughts

Perch fish is easy to work with. It’s more or less a blank canvas, and you can try out as many recipes as possible. However, with our compiled list of perch recipes, you can rest assured that you’ll always have mouth-watering outcomes.