Perch is a common fish with a distinctive taste. If you’re a lover of fish and you like to try out new things, perch might be the best option to settle on. However, you do not always have to go to a restaurant to satisfy your craving. You can try out your culinary skills and whip up a brilliant fishy delight.
Before you start, you might want to find out the flavors that pair well with perch to give your dish a savory edge. To put you on the right track, we’ll give you a rundown of the best perch seasoning flavors you can find in the market and how to use them.
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Do You Really Need to Add Spices to Perch?
One thing you’d quickly love about perch is its natural flavor. The fish has succulent white flesh with a sweet taste and a firm texture. The taste is usually likened to the walleye fish, but perch is a lot more delicious. Its mouth-watering flavor might be due to its interesting underwater diet, which comprises various insects, tiny fishes, and other invertebrates.
The perch is one of the most delicious-tasting freshwater fish with its firm flesh and mild sweetness. The best part is that it doesn’t have the off-putting fishy smell, so you don’t have to worry about the lingering odor.
With these incredible attributes, you don’t need to add a lot of spice to get that perfect taste. In the end, it’s a matter of preference, so you can add as much flavor (or as little flavor) as you want. If you’re a lover of spicy food, make it spicy. If you’re after a more natural flavor, add more mellow flavors. Whichever the case, you can never truly go wrong, so be experimental and try some of the flavors below to get the taste that you want!
What Seasoning Flavors Pair Well With Perch?
Perch is easy to prepare. You don’t have to sweat it out in the kitchen to get a good-tasting meal going. However, not every seasoning is the best fit for perch. For your ease, we’ve rounded up the best of the best flavors that pair well with the fish.
1. Parsley
Parsley is a healthy and delicious vegetable that adds life and balance to almost any fish dish. It has an earthy and peppery taste that unleashes a burst of flavor. The herb tastes amazing in most dishes, and it works particularly well with fish.
It is no surprise that it tops the list as it is an all-time classic. All you have to do is sprinkle some over your perch delicacy towards the end of cooking, and it will have you smacking your lips and wanting more.
2. Fresh Oregano
Oregano is a top-tier spice. Grown in dry, warm climates, it has an earthly, floral flavor that gives it a unique edge. Though somewhat bitter, the herb’s aroma is a mix of hay, mint, and camphor. You can expect an interesting meal, knowing that chopping fresh oregano into your perch dish will give it a pungent, spicy taste.
Oregano is also flexible because you can combine it with several other spices in your perch recipe without making a mess of the flavors. In the end, you’ll have a moist, tender, and perfectly flavored dish.
3. Lemongrass
Fresh or dried lemongrass is popular with people who make herbal teas and other healthy drinks. You can also use its dried, fresh, or powdered leaves while cooking to bring an edgy flavor to your dish. The flavor is quite mild, so you don’t have to worry about it taking over the taste of your food.
Lemongrass will complement the perch’s remarkable flavor, so it’s an excellent choice to add a dash of the herb to your dish. You can sprinkle the powder over the fish or make your very own lemongrass sauce as a flavorful condiment.
4. Lemon Juice
Lemon and fish are a classic combination. The citric acid perfectly cuts through the fish oils and gives it a mildly sweet and salty citrus taste. There is a balance of flavors with lemon and fish, which is why several restaurants serve them up together.
As your perch cooks, you can squeeze in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavor and counter the residual briny flavors typical of seafood. You can marinate the fish in lemon juice before cooking for a more savory burst of flavor. Lemon juice also helps to get rid of the awful fish smell.
5. Unsalted Butter
Unsalted butter is a great seasoning for your perch. With unsalted butter, you get to have absolute control over the overall flavor of your dish. This is because it gives prominence to the natural flavor of your food. Without the salt, the creamy flavor of the butter surfaces, and you can add as much salt or spice as you want.
However, with salted butter, you have no control over the amount of salt in your perch dish, and this can limit how much more ingredients you can add in.
6. Paprika
If you’re a lover of hot, spicy food, then paprika will be perfect for your perch recipe. As you’re boiling or frying your fish, add a dash of the fiery seasoning and prepare yourself for a finger-lickin’.
If you want to give your perch an earthy, woody flavor, you can up the ante by using smoked paprika, made from peppers that have been smoke-dried.
When to Use a Specific Flavor
Method is important when it comes to cooking. You can easily mess up a good meal if you add in a spice too early or too late. With perch fish, you have to consider the cooking technique before adding in your desired flavor. Here’s a quick run-through to give you a better idea:
● Baking
For baked perch fish, keep in mind that it is a step-by-step process. Start by preheating your oven to about 400F. Add in your desired flavors such a melted butter, lemon juice, a sprinkle of paprika, and other items you want. When you’re finished, bake the fish for 10-15 minutes.
If you desire, add slices of lime to the crusty dish or sprinkles of parsley, oregano, or lemongrass. It might be a bad idea to add in the herbs before baking as they can get burnt.
● Broiling
With broiling, you might want to pre-season your perch fish for about 20 minutes. This is to ensure that the flavors are well-marinated. Afterward, add in some paprika, lemon juice, and other spices that suit your fancy. After broiling for 10-15 minutes, you can also sprinkle some herbs to complement the different flavors.
● Frying
If you plan to fry your perch fish, it might be a bad idea to sprinkle in the herbs beforehand as they will only get burnt in the hot oil.
Although, if your aim is to give the oil a spicy flavor, you can go right ahead. Another way to make the dish spicier is to marinate the fish in some seasoning to give it a burst of flavor.
Final Thoughts
Cooking is an inventive process. You express yourself whichever way you want through flavors and spices. However, with some dishes such as perch fish, you should find out the flavors that pair well to avoid a distasteful outcome.
Sources:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walleye
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-parsley-learn-how-to-cook-with-parsley#what-is-parsley
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/284490
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/all-about-oregano/amp
https://www.rxlist.com/lemongrass/supplements.htm
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-paprika-how-to-cook-with-3-different-types-of-paprika