Pan Fried Or Sauteed Yellow Perch

Serves:

Ingredients:

6 sm Yellow perch
7-9 " long
4 tb Bacon fat or lard
Salt and pepper
4 tb Butter
Cornmeal
1 Lemon (opt.)

Method:

Dress, scale, and what the fish, pat dry, salt and pepper, then dredge them in the meal or meal-flour combination.
Heat the fat until it is hot enough to cook at once, but not burning, sputtering hot.
Lay in the fish, turn heat down to barely a medium flame, and begin to brown the fish.
Keep the fish loose from the pan bottom with a thin metal spatula.
Taking 8-10 minutes to a side (turn heat low if it seems to fry too fast), brown the fish slowly until crisp.
Do not overcook.
When the flesh is opaque the fish is done; one hopes it's all browned by then.
Add 4 Tbs.
butter to the skillet after removing the fish and squeeze in the juice of a lemon, stir the fat and juices to loosen the dredgings, and pour over the browned fish.
VARIATION: After removing the fish from the skillet, toss about 1/3 cup of chopped black walnuts.
Brown lightly with the remaining butter and sprinkle over the fish before serving.