How to Cook Perch

The mild flavor of perch makes it a great fish for preparing a lot of different ways. The most common way to cook perch is to fry it. You’ll need flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. Be careful not to burn the fish as it fries. You can also easily bake perch by covering it with a basic breading mixture and cooking it at a high temperature for a few minutes. Poaching perch is great for bringing out the flavor of the fish without adding too many calories.

Ingredients

Fried Perch

  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of flour per fillet
  • 1 egg
  • 1  c (240 mL) breadcrumbs
  • 1 US tbsp (15 mL) oil per fillet
  • Lemon juice to taste

Baked Perch

  • 2 US tbsp (30 mL) dried bread crumbs
  • 1 US tbsp (15 mL) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 US tbsp (15 mL) paprika
  • 1  tsp (4.9 mL) dried basil
  • 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of butter

Poached Perch

  • 1 medium leek or onion, shredded or finely chopped.
  • 2 strips of lemon peel
  • 1 pinch each of salt and pepper
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Making Fried Perch

  1. Image titled Cook Perch Step 1
    1
    Season the fish. Pat the fish fillets dry with a piece of paper towel. Then sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of each fillet. Use about 1  tsp (4.9 mL) of each seasoning per fillet.[1]
  2. Image titled Cook Perch Step 2
    2
    Dip the fillet in flour. Pour 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of flour per fillet in a large bowl. Place one fillet at a time in the flour, then flip it over and press the opposite side into the flour.[2]
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  3. Image titled Cook Perch Step 3
    3
    Dip the fillet in a bowl of beaten egg. Beat 1 egg in a bowl until the yolk and white are scrambled together. Then dip the fish fillet in the beaten egg so that both side are covered.[3]
  4. Image titled Cook Perch Step 4
    4
    Transfer the fillet to a bowl of crumbs. Once the fillet has been dipped in egg, place it in a bowl of breadcrumbs and press both sides in the crumbs so the whole fillet is covered. You can use whatever breadcrumbs you like. You can also use cornmeal instead of breadcrumbs for a sweeter flavor. [4]
  5. Image titled Cook Perch Step 5
    5
    Repeat the coating process for each fillet. It’s easiest to dip one fillet at a time in the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. As you finish coating each fillet, lay it flat on a plate or platter. Don't stack the fillets, since this can cause the breading to come off.[5]
  6. Image titled Cook Perch Step 6
    6
    Heat oil in a large fry pan or iron skillet. You should use about 1 US tbsp (15 mL) per fillet you’re frying. Pour the oil in a large fry pan or iron skillet and heat it over medium high heat.[6]
    • You can use any oil with a high smoke point. This includes grapeseed, extra virgin olive, and sunflower oil.
  7. Image titled Cook Perch Step 7
    7
    Fry 1 side of the perch. Once the oil is hot (you can tell if the oil starts to pop), place the fillets in the fry pan. Check them every few minutes, especially if you’re adding fillets at different times.The side is done when it's a light golden brown color.[7]
  8. Image titled Cook Perch Step 8
    8
    Use a spatula to flip the perch. Once 1 side of the perch is brown, it's time to flip it. Use a large spatula to get completely under the fillet and flip it over. Once the second side is golden-brown, you can remove the fillet from the pan.[8]
    • It should take about 2 minutes per side to fry the fish.
  9. Image titled Cook Perch Step 9
    9
    Garnish with lemon juice. If you’ve fried the fish in an iron skillet, you can also use the skillet the serve the fish – just make sure you place a pot holder under the skillet before you set it on the table. If you’ve used a fry pan, use a spatula to carefully remove the fish. Garnish the fillets with the juice of half a lemon.[9]
    • You can store leftovers for up to 3 days in a refrigerator.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Making Baked Perch

  1. Image titled Cook Perch Step 10
    1
    Preheat the oven to 500 °F (260 °C). Fish requires a high baking point so that it can cook all the way through before it burns. It might take your oven a while to preheat to such a high heat, so make sure you start preheating before you prepare the fish.[10]
  2. Image titled Cook Perch Step 11
    2
    Make the breading mixture. Mix together 2 US tbsp (30 mL) dried bread crumbs, 1 US tbsp (15 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, 1 US tbsp (15 mL) paprika, and 1  tsp (4.9 mL) dried basil in a small bowl. You can adjust the measurements slightly depending your preference. Less paprika will make the fish less smoky.[11]
  3. Image titled Cook Perch Step 12
    3
    Brush the fillets with butter. Melt 1 US tbsp (15 mL) of butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl. Brush each fillet on both sides with the melted butter. If you don’t have a brush, pour a bit of the butter over each side of the fillet and spread it with your fingers.[12]
  4. Image titled Cook Perch Step 13
    4
    Dip the fillets in the breading mixture. Press 1 side of each fillet in the mixture. Then flip each fillets over and press the second side into the mixture. Shake off any excess mixture.[13]
  5. Image titled Cook Perch Step 14
    5
    Place the fillets in a greased baking pan. You can pre-grease the pan with cooking spray, butter, or your choice of oil. Place the fillets in the greased baking pan. Try not to let the fillets touch. If they do, they might not cook evenly.[14]
  6. Image titled Cook Perch Step 15
    6
    Bake the fish uncovered for 10 minutes. You can check the fish after 10 minutes. If they’re finished, the fillets will flake easily with a fork. If the fillets don’t flake easily after 10 minutes, put them in for 2 minutes longer at a time.[15]
    • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They'll keep for up to 3 days.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Making Poached Perch

  1. Image titled Cook Perch Step 16
    1
    Add seasonings to the pot you’ll boil the fish in. A good basic mix of seasonings includes onion or leeks, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add 1 medium leek or onion, shredded or finely chopped, to the pot. Then add 2 strips of lemon peel, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.[16]
  2. Image titled Cook Perch Step 17
    2
    Boil a pot of 2  c (470 mL) of water. Bring the water to a boil. Once it’s boiled, cover the pot and simmer the liquid for 20 to 30 minutes.[17]
  3. Image titled Cook Perch Step 18
    3
    Add the fish to the pot. Turn the heat under the water down to low. Then add the fish, one fillet at a time. If the fish is not covered at least 2/3 of the way up, add more water until they are. [18]
  4. Image titled Cook Perch Step 19
    4
    Cover the pot. When the fish is in and the pot is covered, bring the water back to a boil. Once you get a boil, turn off the heat.[19]
  5. Image titled Cook Perch Step 20
    5
    Let the fish steam for 7 to 10 minutes. Keep the lid on the pot after you remove it from the heat. Let the fish steam for 7 to 10 minutes. The fish is done when it’s opaque – solid white that you can’t see through.[20]
  6. Image titled Cook Perch Step 21
    6
    Remove the fish from the water. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the water. Be careful as you lift each fillet out – the fish will be very tender and can break apart easily. Place the fish on a plate and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil or lemon juice.[21]
    • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for about 3 days.
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Things You'll Need

Fried Perch

  • 2 mixing bowls
  • Plate or platter
  • Large iron skillet
  • Fish spatula

Baked Perch

  • 2 mixing bowls (1 microwave safe for melting butter)
  • Greased baking pan

Poached Perch

  • Pot for poaching
  • Serving platter

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References

  1. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  2. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  3. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  4. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  5. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  6. ↑ http://chestofbooks.com/food/recipes/How-To-Cook-Fish/Fifteen-Ways-To-Cook-Perch.html
  7. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222336/brown-butter-perch/
  8. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222336/brown-butter-perch/
  9. ↑ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/222336/brown-butter-perch/
  1. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  2. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  3. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  4. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  5. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  6. ↑ https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/baked-parmesan-perch
  7. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/
  8. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/
  9. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/
  10. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/
  11. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/
  12. ↑ https://www.cookforyourlife.org/recipes/simple-poached-white-fish/

About This Article

wikiHow Staff
Co-authored by:
wikiHow Staff
wikiHow Staff Writer
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 63,958 times.
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: October 18, 2021
Views: 63,958
Categories: Fish and Seafood
Article SummaryX

The most popular way to cook perch is to fry it. Start by patting your fillets dry and sprinkling them with salt and pepper. Set up a dredging station with a bowl of flour, a bowl of beaten egg, and a bowl of bread crumbs, then dip the fillets into each bowl, in that order. Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan and fry the perch on each side for 2 minutes. Garnish your fried fillets with lemon juice and enjoy! For tips on other popular cooking methods, like baking or poaching your perch, read on!

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