Perch Shrimp Cocktail

Some people call this “poor man’s shrimp” but there is nothing poor or inferior about these tasty perch morsels!cooked and plated perch cocktail

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.raw perch strips on plateseasoned liquid gently boiling

perch poaching in seasoned broth

poached perch cooling on plateperch in cocktail glass with sauce and lemon wedge

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