Brown Butter Perch

This is a simple perch recipe from someone who loves perch. I love everything about them — their sweet, delicate flavor, the striking coloration, and the stubborn fight they put up for their size. The key to this recipe is getting the butter to a perfect nutty brown. Technically it's still butter, but something happens when it's toasted like this, and it really does become another ingredient altogether.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 271 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup flour
• ½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 8 ounces fresh perch fillets
• 1 lemon, cut in half

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Whisk flour, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Gently press perch fillets into flour mixture to coat, shaking off any excess flour.

Step 2

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter is foaming and nut-brown in color. Working in batches, cook filets in brown butter until lightly golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked fillets to a plate, squeeze lemon juice over the top, and serve.