Foil-Baked Italian Perch

A Taste of the Wild Featured Recipe

For anglers looking for a new way to utilize their catch, this Italian-inspired dish is both easy to prepare, and it pairs well with a simple side of pasta dressed in parsley and butter. Or tap this recipe for a great use of your open water harvest of fresh perch to serve on a bed of fresh garden greens. It also carries well to transition to an open-faced sandwich served on ciabatta bread. If making it into the sandwich, just lift the cooked fillets onto the bread before the final step of adding the cheese, and finish the sandwiches in the hot oven to melt the cheese until lightly browned and melted.

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs Perch fillets, skin removed
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely minced parsley
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ to ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 small onion, finely sliced
Fresh tomato slices, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons butter
½ – ¾ cup of quality shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Using a sheet of aluminum foil that is large enough to cover your pan and fold back over the dish, set in a pan with low sides.
Lay fish fillets in a single layer on the foil down the center.
Sprinkle with lemon juice.
Combine parsley, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion powder and salt together in a small dish, then sprinkle evenly over fish.
Place onion slices and tomato slices over fish, then dot the butter on top.
Wrap foil and seal the edge to lock the seam tightly. Bake at least 30 minutes, or until fish starts to flake. Remove from the oven, turn temp up to 400 degrees F. Fold back the foil. Sprinkle cheese across the top of the dish and return to the oven and bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and slightly brown.