Perch

Name: Perch — freshwater fish of the family Percidae, including the European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) of North America, with firm, white, sweet, delicate flesh. Nile perch is a different, much larger fish.

Description

Perch live in lakes and slow-moving rivers across Europe, Asia and North America, and are a popular catch for anglers. They are a traditional food in Switzerland and France, where filets de perche, small fillets fried in butter, are a speciality of Lake Geneva, and in the Great Lakes region of the United States, where perch fries are common.

The flesh is firm, moist, flaky and slightly sweet, and cooks quickly, and is often cooked with the skin on, since the small fillets are delicate. The fish has sharp spines on the dorsal fin and many small bones, and the scales are tough.

Main nutrition value

Perch is a lean, white fish, low in fat and calories, and a good source of high-quality protein, selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus and iodine. It is low in fat and in mercury, though levels in wild perch vary by water body.

How best to be consumed

Perch is delicate, and best fried or baked simply.

1. Dredge small fillets in seasoned flour and pan-fry in butter for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
2. Bake or grill with lemon and herbs, or coat in light batter.
3. Serve with lemon, parsley, tartare sauce or potatoes.
4. Scale and gut whole perch, and watch for the spiny fins.
5. Check local advice on wild-caught perch from lakes and rivers.

Overconsumption could cause…

Perch is healthy in food amounts.

1. Fish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid fish and check labels, including fish in sauces and dressings.
2. Contaminants such as mercury and PCBs in wild perch from polluted lakes, so check local advice.
3. Parasites in wild freshwater fish that is undercooked, so cook it through.
4. A lot of fat, salt and calories if battered and deep-fried, or served with rich sauces.

GroupsWhite FishFinfishHigh proteinLow fatLow sodiumRich in vitamin B12Rich in vitamin DFresh

Related foodsHalibutGrouperHakeTilapiaSeabassSnapper

Wikipedia — Perch, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perch