History

Wisconsin lake perch has been the canonical Wisconsin fish fry fish since the early 20th century, when commercial fishing fleets out of Milwaukee, Sheboygan and Two Rivers landed perch by the ton. The Wisconsin DNR limited commercial perch fishing in the 1990s after stocks declined, but recreational fishing still supplies area restaurants, and Tornado Steak House, The Old Fashioned and Coopers Tavern in Madison feature it on the Friday fish fry.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Fish

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 600g Lake Michigan yellow perch fillets, skin off
  • 200g panko bread crumbs
  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 0.5 teaspoon paprika
  • Neutral oil for shallow frying
  • Lemon wedges
  • Tartar sauce
  • Rye bread to serve

Method

  1. Pat the perch fillets dry with paper towels.
  2. Set up three shallow bowls: flour in one, beaten eggs in the second, panko mixed with salt, pepper and paprika in the third.
  3. Dredge each fillet in flour, then dip in egg, then press into the panko crumbs to coat both sides.
  4. Heat about half an inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat to 350F.
  5. Fry fillets in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp.
  6. Drain on paper towels and finish with sea salt.
  7. Serve immediately on rye bread with tartar sauce, lemon wedges and coleslaw. A brandy Old Fashioned at the table is canonical.

Tip from the editors. Yellow perch fillets are small, so fry in batches and don't crowd the pan. Walleye, cod or whitefish substitute fine if perch is unavailable.

Where to eat lake perch plate

Lake perch plate in Madison

Tornado Steak House ★ 4.4

$$$ Wine bar

Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, the Capitol Square supper club, pairs a white-linen wine list with aged steaks and the Friday fish fry.

PourSteakhouse-paired California red or Wisconsin sparkling

WineSupper-club bottle list with steakhouse-friendly reds

FoodWisconsin supper club menu, steaks and Friday fish fry

Directions

The Old Fashioned ★ 4.7

$$$ Cocktail barWisconsin tavern

The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin-tavern flagship on Capitol Square, pours hundreds of Wisconsin beers and the brandy Old Fashioned standard.

DrinkBrandy Old Fashioned sweet, the city's standard

FoodWisconsin supper club menu, fish fry, cheese curds

Directions

The Coopers Tavern ★ 4.5

$$ British gastropubUntil Mon-Thu 22:00, Fri-Sat 23:00, Sun 22:00

The Coopers Tavern on West Mifflin off Capitol Square, the craft-beer-and-Wisconsin-pub flagship, runs a kitchen until 23:00 on Fri-Sat with a fish fry.

TryGastropub menu, fish fry and Wisconsin tap beer

Directions

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