Some people call this “poor man’s shrimp” but there is nothing poor or inferior about these tasty perch morsels!
Perch Shrimp Cocktail
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless perch fillets cut into long 1/2’” strips
- ½ cup Old Bay-type seasoning
- 1 onion roughly chopped or quartered
- 1 lemon
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-2 Tbsp. kosher or sea salt
- A pinch of cracked black pepper
- Cocktail sauce and lemon for serving
Combine Old Bay, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and water in a saucepan. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the seasoned water and add the lemon halves. Bring mixture to a low rolling boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain solids from the liquid and return the seasoned liquid to the saucepan. Bring the seasoned liquid back to a gentle boil (just a few bubbles). You can either use a steamer basket to steam the shrimp over the seasoned water or drop the perch fillets directly into the simmering water. Gentle boil/steam the perch for about 5 minutes until just opaque. Remove the perch from the liquid and lay them in a single layer and place in the refrigerator to get nice and cold. Once chilled, serve as you would Shrimp Cocktail with cocktail sauce and wedges of lemon.