Perch need tender love
Use subtle approach when preparing dish
The inimitable Oscar Santos asked on Facebook while cleaning perch, “Sooooo I hear this is edible. Perch eggs. I read on here some of you eat this. How would I prepare it?’’
With the plethora of perch on the Chicago lakefront, eating is good.
The question by Santos — the bestknown kayak fisherman on the lakefront (this time he was shore fishing) — brought back memories.
When my younger brother and I were little, we would bring back small creek chubs, bluegill and sunfish. We had to scale and clean them, then Mom would roll them in flour and fry in butter (well, margarine). If we found fish eggs, she saved them until the end, then quickly fried them.
When I was older and cooking fish and wild game mattered more, I adapted her methods. I quick-fry any fish eggs as butter starts to turn brown. I have found fried fish eggs need more salt than most food does. As my cooking evolved, I learned how to do a fish-egg omelet. I sweat chopped green onions before frying fish eggs, then added a couple of beaten eggs. A variation is adding chives with the beaten eggs.
On the other hand, preparing perch should be subtle. Perch are not catfish or redfish, which you can blacken, overseason or do anything to. Perch need tenderness.
So I was surprised when Santos suggested a chowder with sausage. To my thinking, sausage or bacon are Mutt and Jeff pairings with perch, unbalanced.
Because of its delicate nature, perch should be done simply. Broil or pan-fry in butter, then season with salt and pepper. Batter-dipped or rolled in bread crumbs works, too.
Years ago, I think it was Capt. Mike “Oakie’’ Okoniewski who suggested perch as an appetizer. He would add broken or small fillets, very briefly, to boiling salted water. Then dip, hot or cooled, into garlic butter or cocktail sauce. To me, even that is too stern of a pairing, though it worked OK the times I tried it.
One trick I learned from the defunct Phil Smidt’s was to scale the perch and leave the skin on for added flavor, then parboil before filleting to infuse some bone flavor. It’s more work but worth it. Sometimes, I even prepare with the bonein, especially with smaller winter perch.
On Monday, after I photographed my bone-in perch plate, our daughter pilfered it. In a minute or so, she plundered the perch, presented on rice garnished with my own December-cut and organic, home-grown spinach.
Passes update
Carl Vizzone, program and event coordinator at the Chicago Park District, emailed stating parking and pier passes are available at Northerly Island (10 a.m.4 p.m. Monday through Friday) and Henry’s Sports and Bait. At Northerly Island, an account must be made, a fishing license presented (and a driver’s license for the parking pass) and you can only pay by credit card.
Illinois hunting
It looks like normal winter weather for muzzleloader-only deer season, which is Friday through Sunday. Harvest numbers for firearm deer season (second season ended Sunday) will be posted when they arrive at chicago.suntimes.com/
section/outdoors/.
♦ Last week was the best at Wolf Lake, with 26 ducks and five geese harvested, according to wildlife biologist Nicky Strahl.
Showtime
The National Marine Manufacturers Association should breathe easier. It’s unlikely the Bears will host a divisional game at Soldier Field the second weekend of January, when “The Boat Show” is at McCormick Place. The list of winter shows/classes/swap meets is at chicago. suntimes.com/environment/outdoor-showschicago/.
Stray cast
WXRT’s “Friday Feature” made me wonder if content in the Stones’ discography outnumbers winter-run perch on the Chicago lakefront.