Blazed Perch

All Finnish domestic fish, except for the smallest ones, are suitable for blazing. For blazing, cut the perch into a butterfly fillet with an incision through the back so that the fatty belly remains intact. Insert the filleting knife through the neck and make an incision along the backbone up to the tail without cutting the belly skin. Turn the fish over and cut out the head and backbone with fins. Remove the ribs with light incisions along the underside of the ribs. Do no remove the skin. Salt the “perch butterflies” and nail them to a board with sharpened wooden pegs. Four small wooden pegs are enough for one fillet. It is a good idea to make holes in the board with a knife so that the pegs drive in more easily.


3–6 perch (100–300 g each)
Salt

For buttering

100 ml melted butter
1 teaspoon sugar

50 ml finely chopped chives

 

Cook the fish in the heat of an indirect campfire and butter it every now and then with the butter mixture. A thin perch fillet will cook quickly. By experimenting you can find the perfect cooking time, colour and texture. Apply the butter mixture on the cooked fish and serve directly on the board with campfire-baked potatoes and onions.

 

 

European Perch (Perca fluviatilis)

- Optimal foodfish size 100–400 g
- One of the most common fish to catch by angling in Finland, prefers worm bait

- When casting, you can get the best results using spinners and jigs. In trolling, small plugs work best.

- You can also use a fish trap to catch perch

Use

- Tasty and low-fat

- Consumption of raw perch is not recommended - there is a risk of tapeworms.

- Suitable for all types of cooking

- Dioxins and heavy metals accumulate in the largest individuals

 

The perch stocks in Finnish waters are sustainable

One of the tastiest Finnish fish

All wild fish must be frozen at -20°C for +1 day before raw consumption.

 

Text and images: Sakke Yrjölä