Perch health benefits, benefits and harms of calories

PerchIn Latin, the name of this family of fish sounds like Perca. This inhabitant of lakes, rivers and seas belongs to predators, but in fact is omnivorous. This fish is not so difficult to catch, but still the fishermen consider it a worthy trophy (especially if they get a large specimen). The meat of this fish is quite tasty and belongs to dietary products, and exquisite dishes from it are in the national cuisine of the Finns, Italians. All this – about the perch.

General characteristics

As already mentioned, perches can live in both fresh and salt water. But at the same time, it should be understood that common perch (also known as river) and sea perch are different families of fish. The most common three species of freshwater perch:

  • common – lives in fresh and brackish waters of Eurasia;
  • Balkhansky – found only in the Semirechye basin (Kazakhstan);
  • yellow – found in freshwater in North America.

Usually the perch โ€œoccupiesโ€ shallow waters with algae, where it is easier for it to hunt smaller fishes. Larger specimens prefer more serious depths. In Lake Constance and Lake Onega, perch occur almost at 40-meter depth.

Biologists refer Perca to predatory fish, but in fact perch doesn’t care what you eat. Although tadpoles, eggs of other fish, insects, worms, crustaceans, small fishes are often found in his diet. And large specimens do not refuse even crayfish.

The perch of an ordinary can be recognized by an oblong, slightly flattened carcass on the sides, tightly covered with scales. The second sign that the perch is in front of you are sharp-spined fins. The color of these fish is usually green-yellow (but depending on the habitat may vary slightly), the upper fin is bluish-red, the dorsal fin is greenish, and the rest are red.

The weight of an average fish is approximately 1-1,3 kg, and the body usually does not exceed 40, although it is known that 2-3-kilogram copies can be caught in Lake Onega, in Peipsi there are almost 4-kilogram beauties, and sometimes around Yekaterinburg giants up to 5 kg and more. But what is interesting, such huge individuals do not grow in length, but add in thickness and height, hence the name – humpback whale.

Perch belongs to those types of fish, which is not difficult to catch. And all because they are found in large flocks, and the younger the fish, the larger the school they create. Perca fish are quite prolific. Females weighing 250 g “give out” 250-300 thousand eggs, larger ones – more than a million. But as a rule, most of the eggs perish without becoming fry.

By the summer, offspring of perch appears, and, having reached 2-3, they begin to hunt other fry. For this reason, Perca can be a real threat to other inhabitants of the ponds (they eat caviar and trout fry, carp, pikeperch, bream).

Nutritional and calorie content

River bass meatMeat of perch is a dietary product. A 100-gram serving of fillet contains no more than 85 kcal and only 1 g of fat. But protein – about 18-19, slightly higher calorie content (due to fat) in fried or smoked fish. Like any other fish, perch is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. But it is worth knowing that in โ€œwildโ€ individuals the indicator of this useful substance is almost 3 times higher than in fish grown in ponds.

Among the useful components that make up the perch meat:

Also in 100 g product there is:

Useful Properties

Useful properties of the perch are determined by the chemical composition of the meat. And, as you know, it contains a lot of useful components.

First of all, the fillet of this freshwater fish is an excellent source of essential fatty acids (more than 1,5 g in 100 g of the product) necessary for the operation of most body systems. But one of the key effects on humans is the improvement of brain function. In addition, the perch is rich in B vitamins, in particular B12, which are necessary for the synthesis of melanin and the maintenance of DNA structure.

Meat Perca – a real mineral and vitamin “cocktail”. Together, these beneficial substances improve tissue oxygen supply, activate fat metabolism, and serve as a โ€œbuilding materialโ€ for connective tissue and bones. Dishes from perch are useful for people with disorders of the thyroid gland, restore the integrity of the mucous membranes, and also regulate glucose levels.

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Oddly enough, but there are people to whom perch meat can do harm. First of all, it concerns persons with gout, urolithiasis, inflammation of the urinary tract, kidney dysfunction. Also rarely, but still there is an individual intolerance to this type of fish.

Perch in the food industry

Fried perchPerch fillet is white, tender and lean meat with a good aroma. Dishes from this fish are most often found in the kitchen of the Slavs and residents of the north. And the first mentions about the use of Perca in food are found in ancient chronicles.

The perch is excellent fried, boiled, baked, stewed, stuffed or dried, and also as a filling for pies. Its meat is used for canned food and freezing (with minus 18 will not lose its flavor even after 3 a month).

It is believed that the perch – the best choice for fish soup. For the dish they use both large and very small fish. Large carcasses are boiled in a small amount of broth. It is beneficial to emphasize the taste of this fish capable of mushrooms, pickles from cucumbers, spices, white wine. Of the smallest, you can also make soup. To do this, the gutted carcasses should be wrapped in gauze and sent to a saucepan with water. After cooking, boiled fish are thrown away.

Another way of cooking perch is hot smoking. The most delicious fish is smoked without any spices on wood from fruit trees. This product is stored for days 3.

When frying, carcasses are usually seasoned with salt, herbs, and pepper. To obtain a crispy crust, the fillet is dipped in batter and fried in a large amount of oil. The main thing is not to overcook, as in such a dish can become a source of toxins. Grilled fish also has excellent gastronomic qualities, it has a distinctive aroma and bitter taste.

There are almost no bones in the perch, but many people refuse to cook this fish because of its spiny fins and tight scales.

How to clean the carcass

How to clean a perchNeedle fins and tight scales are not a reason to refuse perch meat. Especially since there is an easy way to clean the carcass. To do this, the fish must be cleaned of offal, and the fins cut off with sharp scissors. Then dip in boiling water (no longer than a second or two). After that, the scales will be removed without much difficulty. The main thing is not to overdo it so that the scales do not lag behind with the skin.

And here are some more tips from fishermen, who certainly know how to properly clean perch:

  1. Squeeze the carcass tail to the board and pull the head (should be heard crunch). After this manipulation, scales will lag more easily.
  2. Clean the perch diagonally from the belly in the direction of the back, and then from the tail to the head.
  3. Cover the gutted carcass at night with salt. By morning, the skin will soften, and the scales go away easier.
  4. Put fresh fish in the freezer for a few hours. After that, it will be easier to clean.
  5. So that the scales do not scatter throughout the kitchen, you can clean the perch in a bowl with water.
  6. The easiest way to clean the skin with the skin is fresh fish. If you make cuts along the fins and around the head, you can easily remove the skin with a โ€œstockingโ€.
  7. It is necessary to clean the perch from the entrails very carefully. A damaged gallbladder will give the meat a bitter taste. If the bile gets on the fillet, sprinkle the damaged area with a thick layer of salt and scrape off with a sharp knife.

How to choose the perch

Choosing a perch filletFrozen perch fillet is chosen according to the same rules as any other fish. First, itโ€™s important to pay attention to the amount of ice. According to technology, it should not be more than 5%. If the standards are met, a layer of frozen water will not be noticeable.

Secondly, it is worth considering the weight of the product. The unnaturally light fillet says that the product has been in the freezer longer than the allotted time.

To understand whether there are bones in the fillet, will help labeling on the label. The designation โ€œRVOโ€ appears on selected boneless fish, โ€œPBIโ€ warns of the possible presence of small bones.

And one more nuance. If during cooking too much liquid came out of the fillet, a white foam appeared, it is a sign of polyphosphates that the fish was pumped with.

What to cook from the perch

Perch meat belongs to the most dietary products. And as many fishermen say, almost everything can be made from this fish. Here are the easiest recipes.

Salted perch

On 10 kg fish you will need a bucket of water and 1 a kilo of coarse salt. Peeled scales, offal, fins and gills of the carcass to wash and blot with a towel. Pour a thick layer of salt on the bottom of the enamelled bowl, then lay out the carcass of fish in dense rows, pouring salt into each row. The top layer should be salt. Cover dishes tightly with fish, press down with weight and leave for 3-5 days in a cool place.

Redfish roe

Caviar remove from caviar sacks. During this time, prepare a very salty boiling solution. Pour the caviar with hot brine, stir for 2 minutes and strain through a sieve. Prepare another serving of boiling brine and repeat the procedure. When the water is completely drained. At the bottom of a clean can pour a little vegetable oil and put in it the finished product. Add salt and some more oil. Insist delicacy in the refrigerator watches 5-6. After that, you can eat the same way as salmon caviar or sturgeon.

Dried perch

This recipe is suitable for any other river fish, but the perch is especially tasty.

At 5 pounds of perch you will have to use one and a half pounds of salt and about 100 g of sugar. At the bottom of the bucket, pour a glass of salt and half a glass of sugar. Lay out previously washed and dried carcasses of fish. Pour in the remaining salt and cover tightly with lid. Leave in a cool place for a week or better for 10 days. Stir the fish and leave for another day. Put the finished carcasses in a container with clean water and soak for 4 hours. Rinse each carcass, dry from water, string on a rope and dry for a week or two.

Baked fish

Baked perchThis dish is cooked very easily, contains few calories, looks spectacular and carries many benefits for the body.

Clean the carcass of the perch, cut off the head and tail. Grate with a spicy mixture (salt, black pepper, ginger, coriander), put in a glass dish and pour white wine. Leave in the marinade for 2 hours.

Put onion (sliced โ€‹โ€‹and fried to transparency), tomato slices, and greens on a greased baking dish. Put fish on a vegetable pillow and sprinkle the carcass with lemon juice. Above – the remnants of onions and tomatoes, as well as a little chopped garlic. Bake for about 35 minutes.

River perch is one of the fish available in our latitudes. Perca is not deficient, and contains no less useful ingredients than seafood. River perch is a versatile fish, from which it is always easy to prepare a dish that is not only satisfying, but also extremely tasty, which will suit your and your loved ones.

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Anna Evans

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