Jane Grigson's Fish Book - Jane Grigson [130]
The name perch goes back to ancient Greece, where the fish was known as περχη. A word of the same origin, apparently, as the adjective meaning dusky, like grapes or olives when they begin to ripen. A good description of its body tone. The fins and tail of our European Perca fluviatilis are sometimes the most vivid orange and red, which may account for the Italian name, pesce persico, the fish of ancient Persia.
HAIRDRESSER’S PERCH AND EEL
Hairdressing in France is so expensive (and prolonged) that I’ve become ruthless in exacting compensation. The man who used to do my hair when I wrote the first edition of this book specialized in mushrooms; he was also a great fisherman. Alas no display of English simplicity has managed to extract a map reference for the morels and ceps he found by the kilo every year (such information is part of a family’s inheritance, I gather). But with river fish, it was another matter. Between explanations of what was going on at the back of my head, he would deliver himself of heretical culinary opinions.
Take perch, of about 750 g (1½ lb), scaled, brined and cleaned. He insisted that the best method is to fry them very slowly in butter, half an hour on each side – I recommend the use of an asbestos mat and clarified butter. The skin turns thick and crisp, a rich golden brown. ‘And inside – no, Madame, it does not get overcooked – inside the flesh is moist and full of flavour. But of course, you must drink a good white wine with it. Of course. But better still, when you have a bottle of good white wine, is to drink it as an apéritif with little bits of eel – yes, little bits, ooh not much more than a centimetre [about half an inch] long. Flour them and shake them and put them in a chip basket. Keep them in deep hot oil until they are a nice brown. You have to try one to see.’ The little bits are turned on to a plate and quickly sprinkled with salt. He was right – they go much better with the wine than salted nuts or crisps or even olives.
PERCH DELMONICO
A pleasant old-fashioned gratin of perch, that can be used for other river fish, and white fish from the sea.
Serves 6–8
1–1½ kg (2–3 lb) perch
2 litres (4 pt) court bouillon, no. 1*
6 hard-boiled eggs
double quantity velouté sauce*, made with bouillon, milk and cream or a creamy mushroom sauce* about 725 ml (1¼ pt)
60 g (2 oz) grated Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
salt, pepper, paprika
Put the scaled and cleaned perch into the cold court bouillon. Bring to the boil and simmer until the fish is just cooked – about 20 minutes. Remove the skin and take off the fillets in smallish pieces. Put them into a gratin dish. Cut 12 neat slices from the eggs, as a garnish, and cut the rest into wedges and put them into the dish with the perch. Pour over the hot velouté sauce. Mix the cheese and crumbs and scatter over the top. Brown under the grill. Lay the 12 slices of egg down the centre, scatter with a little salt, pepper and a nice dusting of paprika and serve very hot.
PESCE PÉRSICO ALLA SALVIA
Since the Middle Ages, or I suppose one should say since Roman times, the perch has been appreciated in Italy; a fish ‘of great esteem’. Sometimes it is served in the Milanese style (dipped in egg and breadcrumbs, then fried in butter and served with lemon wedges). But this recipe, given in Ada Boni’s Italian Regional Cooking, is more unusual and quite delicious. The Italians are as fond of sage as we are, and they use it more adroitly, with a greater variety of food.
Serves 6
12 fillets of perch
seasoned flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten.
fine, dry breadcrumbs
125 g (4 oz) butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
12 leaves of sage, roughly chopped
MARINADE
6–8 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
1 green