Now I admit it, I’m coming a little late with this article, which should have been published a couple of months back. But better late than never, am I right? This is another reason why I find blogs and websites in general a much better resource than social media. For example this article with its recipes can be useful in the years to come, whereas if this would just be a mere Instagram post, its life spam would soon be over. *End of the cyber rant*
As you might have noticed, we’ve increased the amount of fish we eat at home and decreased the amount of meat. When we choose the fish we eat, we always try to buy wild fish and among those one of our absolute favorites is perch. Perch is a freshwater fish commonly found in the Nordic countries. It is in season in spring and autumn during the months of April, May, September and October. It has a white flesh, which is very tasty, making it one of the most beloved fish in the Nordic cuisine. For example, very often fish and chips are made with perch fillets in Finland, like the one we ate in Hailuoto at the Whitefish Fair.
To follow I will introduce you to two ways to cook perch. One is the very traditional way, the way I learned from the locals. It comes along with a yogurt sauce that fits very well both with the perch fillets and the boiled potatoes that usually are served as a side dish to this delicacy. The other way has the Italian twist I always love to add to Nordic recipes. It has cherry tomatoes, thyme and a tangy caper mayo to go along with it.
Both of these recipes are amazing. If you decide to make both, I’d definitely advise to eat first the Nordic Perch and then the Mediterranean, since the Mediterranean is stronger and richer in flavor.
Beautiful Pielpa Towel by Hempea
Nordic Perch with Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For the Nordic Perch
- 40 g butter
- 20 ml olive oil
- 500 g perch fillets
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
For the Yogurt Sauce
- 200 g Greek yogurt
- 5 g mustard
- 1 garlic clove
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the oil and the butter in a skillet.
- Add the perch fillets to the skillet, season the upper side of the fillets, fry for a couple of minutes in high heat until golden and repeat the same procedure for the other side.
- Make the yogurt sauce by adding all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well and season to taste.
- Serve along with boiled potatoes.
Mediterranean Perch with Caper Mayonnaise
Ingredients
For the Mediterranean Perch
- 2 tbsp 30 ml olive oil
- 500 g perch fillet
- 100 g cherry tomatoes
- 1 garlic clove
- A couple of thyme twigs
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
For the Caper Mayonnaise
- 50 g mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp 5 ml vinegar
- About 20 small capers or 5 big ones
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Warm the oil in a skillet. Add the entire garlic clove and thyme twigs and sizzle them for a minute.
- Add the perch fillets to the skillet, season the upper side of the fillets, fry for a couple of minutes in high heat until golden.
- Turn the fillets, add the cherry tomatoes, season them and fry them for a couple of minutes.
- Make the caper mayo by adding all the ingredients in a bowl (grossly chop the capers in case you are using the big ones), mix well and season to taste.
- Serve along with boiled potatoes.
What about you? Which recipe would you choose? The Traditional Nordic Perch or the Mediterranean Perch?
Supported by Taike
