Not to be confused with the freshwater fish of the same name (but a very different species), ocean perch offers lean, moist and flaky meat that tastes mildly sweet. Popular in Asian cuisine, where Pacific species of ocean perch are often steamed or deep fried whole, it hasn’t made the same inroads into American cuisine yet. Surprisingly, though, some of its best sales are in the American Midwest!

Sources
Canada, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, U.S.

Availability
Perch is generally available year-round.

Cooking Tips

• Flavor holds up to a variety of sauces, including light butter sauces or fresh tomato and avocado salsa.
• Can be baked, fried, poached, sautéed or steamed.
• When steaming, try serving it with a sauce of garlic, ginger and soy or a thick Panang-style coconut curry.