18 Nebraskaland • October 2022
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
PERCH CAKES
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
•
1 pound of perch fillets, boneless and skinless
•
12 ounces russet or yellow potato
•
Kosher salt, to taste
•
Olive oil
•
4 cloves of garlic, minced
•
2 eggs, beaten
•
1
⁄4 cup of chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
•
1
⁄4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
•
3
⁄4 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
•
1
⁄4 cup of panko breadcrumbs
•
1
1
⁄2 teaspoons of fresh, minced dill
•
1
⁄3 cup of rice flour, or all-purpose flour
•
Tartar sauce
•
Lemon wedges
1. Peel potato and slice into large pieces. In a small
saucepan, cover potatoes with water and add a generous
pinch of salt. Boil for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes
soften. Drain, mash and transfer to a medium-size mixing
bowl.
2. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt.
Coat the bottom of a nonstick pan with oil and heat over
medium-high. Brown fish on one side — do not flip — in
batches; add more oil as needed. Transfer cooked fish to a
bowl. Reduce heat to medium and sauté minced garlic until
fragrant, about 30 seconds. Take off heat.
3. When fish is cool enough to handle, gently break it
up into pieces. In the bowl with the mashed potato, mix in
beaten egg, cilantro, cayenne pepper, panko, dill, Old Bay
Seasoning,
1
⁄4 teaspoon of kosher salt and sautéed garlic.
Then gently fold in perch. Try not to break up the fish too
much; you want to be able to see the flakes. Cover and
refrigerate for at least 3 hours before frying.
4. Turn oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour rice flour
onto a plate. In a skillet, heat
1
⁄4 inch of oil over medium
heat. When oil starts shimmering, form cold fish mixture
into
1
⁄2-inch thick patties and then coat with rice flour,
shaking off excess. Brown perch patties until golden and
crispy on both sides, allowing plenty of room between the
patties. Add more oil as needed. Keep the cooked patties
warm in the oven while you cook the remaining fish.
5. Serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon
wedges. To reheat leftovers, deep fry or bake at 400 degrees
Fahrenheit.
IN THE FIELD
Perch fish cakes seasoned with Old Bay. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND
