Cornmeal-Crusted Lake Perch

Bill Jr., (Bubba here) just returned from vacationing in the United Kingdom and had more than one meal of fish and chips in England.  

In his words, the fish was the best, "Awesome! Crunchy, tender and tasty."  The Brits choice of fish is cod and haddock, with him liking haddock more.

I'd be the first to order fish and chips at a pub anywhere, but we all know that at home it can turn into a "grease-feast!"

 
That is, unless it's made in an air fryer! 

Baked-crisp Lake Perch

We’re big fans of lake perch ~ straight from Lake Michigan ~ mild tasting, bearing snowy white meat with no “fishy” odor like ocean perch. 

It’s on the cool side here, a good excuse for starting up the oven yesterday, and baking the fish instead of grilling.

Now, here’s why I like this recipe so much:  The breading surrounding the perch bakes into a crispy crunchy coating ~ it’s the same mouthwatering texture of fried fish, minus a plethora of fat and calories. 

Adjust the seasonings to your liking; add red pepper flakes if you prefer a little heat, or Parmesan cheese, if that’s what floats your boat.   And then simply bake for a mouth-watering meal.

I hope you try it and like it as much as we do!

Baked-crisp Lake Perch

Ingredients:

1½ pounds lake perch fillets

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1½ cups panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon dill weed

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk butter and lemon juice in small bowl, brush on each fillet.

In a zip lock, combine remaining ingredients and coat fillets with mixture.

Coat a baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange breaded fish on pan, skin side down.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until fish is crispy and flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 4

ENJOY!

Baked Parmesan Perch

This is a great-tasting replacement for traditional high-fat fried fish.

We all know that we need to consume more fish and that it should be grilled or baked, instead of fried. After a swipe of olive oil, this perch was breaded with nutritious whole-wheat bread crumbs that were combined with seasonings, basil and Parmesan cheese. 

If you like perch, I hope you give it a go.  It bakes to a crispy goodness, and you won’t miss it not being fried ~ nor the clean-up ~ the mess from frying. 

It’s quick, simple and good!

Baked Parmesan Perch

Ingredients:

¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 pound perch fillets

1 tablespoon olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients.

Brush fillets with olive oil, dip in crumb mixture.

Place fish on baking sheet sprayed lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until fish flakes easily with a fork.

ENJOY!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog, @My Kind of Cooking for great tips and delicious easy recipes!