Brown Butter Perch

Toasted brown butter brings out the best in perch’s delicate flavor.  The light flour coating is absolutely delicious and the whole recipe is so quick and easy to make which makes it a perfect weeknight meal when short on time. This is one recipe you won’t want to throw away.

Modified recipe: Original recipe by Chef John in BH&G 2022.

Author: Michelle Hanson

Michelle Hanson, MA, RD, LD is Fresh & Natural Food’s Registered Dietitian. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics with a minor in Community Health from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. She is a registered dietitian and current member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Michelle has been a nutrition consultant for numerous years as well as a nutrition research director at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.

Michelle is passionate about food and nutrition and believes in helping people find simple, realistic ways to make healthy eating a part of their everyday lifestyle.
If you are interested in meeting Michelle or have questions for her, you can email her at: michelle@fnfoods.com. She will look forward to meeting you!

Servings: 4 | Prep Time: 10 | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Ready in: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour ( or gluten free flour)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 lb. 1/2-inch-thick perch (or walleye) fillets, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 T butter
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Stir together flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a shallow bowl. Gently press fillets into flour mixture to coat, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until butter is foaming and nut-brown in color, about 5 minutes. Cook fillets in butter, turning once halfway through until fish is lightly golden and flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes. Transfer the fillets to a plate and serve with lemon wedges.
3. Meal ideas: pair fillets with a crisp cucumber salad, topped with feta, and chopped pistachios and oregano.  Or add a bold pickled jalapeno salsa and fresh avocados to pack a punch on top of the fillets.

Nutrition Information Per 2 piece fillet serving: 243 cal; 7 g fat (4g sat fat); 25g protein; 19g carb  (1g fiber, 0g sugars) 698g sodium. For those limiting sodium intake, substitute a salt substitute.