36 | JUNE 2 • 2022
Lake Perch Dinner
FOOD
FROM THE HOME KITCHEN
OF CHEF AARON
L
ake Perch is a delight enjoyed
by Michiganders across both
peninsulas; prepared simply and
served with a classic remoulade, they can
be found on many a restaurant’s menu.
This method of cooking — floured, then
sauteed hot and fast in a
well-oiled/buttered pan —
works well for all sorts of
thin fish, including rainbow
trout, smaller whitefish and
the like. Skin the pieces if
you like or leave the skin
on if you’re that sort of fish
eater.
Make sure to season the flour well —
after all, it’s going to be all over the fish,
and you’d hate for that to be bland. This
whole dish lives or dies on good seasoning.
To be quite honest: The rice and green
beans can be either boring or brilliant, and
the key is making sure there’s enough salt
in the dishes. Taste and season as you go,
and never set anything on the table that
you’ve neglected to taste first.
PAN-FRIED LAKE PERCH WITH
REMOULADE, WILD RICE AND
GREEN BEANS
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
1½ lbs. cleaned lake perch
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
½ cup cornstarch
¼ cup paprika
2 Tbs. salt
½ tsp. ground white pepper
8 oz. clarified butter
16 oz. prepared remoulade (recipe below)
12 oz. cooked wild rice (recipe below)
12 oz. cooked green beans (recipe below)
Directions
1. Mix the flours, cornstarch and
seasonings together in a bowl. Put the
perch fillets in the bowl and toss to coat
them evenly. Feel free to add more
seasonings to the mix.
2. Heat a sauté pan over high heat
and add 2 oz. clarified butter.
3. When the butter is hot, remove the
fillets from the flour, making sure they’re
completely covered. Shake off the
excess flour, and place the perch into
the hot pan, carefully, one piece at a
time, flesh side down. Only add enough
pieces to the pan to create one layer
with decent space in between fillets.
Don’t crowd the pan; work in batches.
4. Cook for 2-3 minutes, and carefully
flip the perch pieces over. They should
be golden brown — if not, cook a little
longer, then flip them.
5. Cook the perch for 2-3 minutes
after flipping, then take the pan off the
heat and let sit for another 2 minutes.
6. Take the perch out of the pan,
clean out any accumulated flour, add
more butter, and cook the remaining
perch in the same way.
7. Serve with a ramekin of remoulade
and a portion of cooked wild rice and
green beans.
Chef Aaron
Egan