I love a good fish fry, and here in Wisconsin, there is always a great supper club around the corner to get the greatest perch on a Friday night. It is traditional to enjoy the fish with coleslaw, potato salad, and rye bread. And don’t forget the Old Fashioned- it’s a necessary drink with the fish fry! Links to these other recipes are listed below.
Making the fish fry at home is both fun and rewarding, especially since we often catch the fish ourselves. This pan-fried perch recipe is inspired by the many supper clubs here as well as the love of fresh fish!
Are Fish Frys Healthy?
Pan fried perch is considered a healthier option than deep frying. In this recipe, we are using avocado oil, which is a better choice than canola oil that is often used in restaurant fryers. Frying fish at home requires just four staple pantry ingredients, while some restaurants may use flour mixes containing additional ingredients or preservatives. Perch is a light, flaky fish that offers many health benefits. Perch is high in protein, omega 3 fatty acids and selenium.
Why Fishing for Perch is Great!
When purchased from a fish market, yellow perch can be pricey. Thankfully, there are many places to fish where perch are abundant. Perch do not require special equipment to catch. They are bottom feeders, so a good old-fashioned worm or minnow as bait near the bottom of the lake or river is all you need. Fishing is a great activity for the whole family. It teaches kids important life skills such as patience and perseverance. In addition, they learn to understand that some days are good and some are bad, which is a valuable life lesson. There are plenty of bodies of water in which perch thrive. To touch up on the regulations for perch fishing in Wisconsin see the DNR website at Panfish – (Bluegill, Crappie, Sunfish, Yellow Perch) | Fishing Wisconsin | Wisconsin DNR
Other recipes that make the Friday night supper club experience at home include:
Rye Bread-Friday Night Fish Fry
Print Recipe
Pan fried Perch
Equipment
- 2 Shallow bowls for breading fish
- Large cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 cup Avocado oil
- 2 lbs Fresh perch
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. You will need 2 bowls for breading the fish. Place fish in one of the bowls and pour milk over the fish.
- In the second bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Heat avocado oil in the skillet over medium heat. Once oil is hot (350℉), begin breading fish.
- Remove one perch from milk at a time and place it in the flour. Cover perch on all sides and shake off excess flour.
- Place the floured fish into the hot skillet and continue breading and placing in skillet until the skillet is full, about 4 butterfly pieces per batch.
- Fry fish for about 4 minutes on each side, or until breading is a dark golden color. Place on wire rack or paper towel lined plate and continue with batches until finished. Cooked perch can be kept warm in a 100℉ oven, covered with foil to keep warm while other batches are cooking.
- Serve with potato, coleslaw, rye bread, and an Old Fashioned!
Notes
