Deep Fried Perch

Monday night we deep fried perch for dinner. This is fresh perch a friend of ours recently caught. Perch is a a smaller fish with a mild taste. Normally I pan fry perch because the small size of the fillets cook quickly. It's very important to not overcook perch!

Deep Fried Perch

Have you ever wondered why some fish coating appears crunchy and flaky while others appear smooth? One reason for this is the way the fish is coated before frying. If you want a crunchy, flaky coating dip the fish first in the liquid you are using then dredge in the dry coating. If you are pan frying omit dipping in the liquid and simply dredge in your dry coating. If you want a smoother coating dredge your fish in the dry coating first then dip into the liquid. Most smooth coatings also have a bit of baking powder it it to make them rise a little.

Pictured is the deep fried perch sitting in the microwave oven to stay warm while the rest cooked. Perch really lends its self well to using the smooth coating style when deep fried. I used Krusto Fish Batter which is a lightly seasoned fish coating I wanted to try from the abattoir's. The liquid was a thin solution of the batter mix in water. The fish was then dredged in the dry batter mix. The fish was deep fried at 190ºC (356ºF) until golden.