Perch Cakes

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Cooking 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
¼ cup of chopped cilantro, leaves and stems
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
¾ teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning
¼ cup of panko breadcrumbs
1½ teaspoons of fresh, minced dill
1/3 cup of rice flour, or all-purpose flour
Tartar sauce
Lemon wedges

Directions

Step 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.

Step 2

Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt. Coat the bottom of a non-stick pan with oil and heat over medium-high. Brown fish on one side—do not flip— in batches; add more oil as needed. Transfer fish to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium and sauté minced garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Take off heat.

Step 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, ¼ 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.

Step 4

Turn oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Pour rice flour onto a plate. In a skillet, heat ¼ inch of oil over medium heat. When oil starts shimmering, form cold fish mixture into ½-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 patties.

Step 5

Serve immediately with tartar sauce and lemon wedges. To reheat leftovers, deep fry or bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.