Pan Fried or Sauteed Yellow Perch
Submitted by vgreen
Classic pan-fried yellow perch with crispy cornmeal crust, finished with lemon butter pan sauce. Fresh-caught lake fish ready in 45 minutes for simple suppers.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsThis old-school method treats fresh perch with the respect it deserves, letting the sweet, delicate flesh shine through a golden crust.
Slow browning in bacon fat and butter creates those crispy edges while keeping the inside tender and flaky.
The quick lemon butter sauce made from the pan drippings ties everything together with bright acidity.
Pro Tips
- Pat fish completely dry before dredging or the coating won’t stick and crisp properly
- Keep the heat medium-low for slow, even browning without burning the cornmeal coating
- Use a thin metal spatula to gently loosen fish from the pan as it cooks
- Don’t flip until the first side is deeply golden, usually 8-10 minutes
Ingredients
Directions
Dress, scale, and what the fish, pat dry, salt and pepper, then dredge them in the meal or meal-flour combination.
Heat the fat until it is hot enough to cook at once, but not burning, sputtering hot.
Lay in the fish, turn heat down to barely a medium flame, and begin to brown the fish.
Keep the fish loose from the pan bottom with a thin metal spatula.
Taking 8 to 10 minutes to a side (turn heat low if it seems to fry too fast), brown the fish slowly until crisp.
Do not overcook. When the flesh is opaque the fish is done; one hopes it’s all browned by then.
Add 4 Tbs. butter to the skillet after removing the fish and squeeze in the juice of a lemon, stir the fat and juices to loosen the dredgings, and pour over the browned fish.
Comments