Fried Perch with Peas, Ham and Yellowfoot Chanterelle Sauce

The combination of peas, meat, mushrooms onions is a tried and true stand one. At an Italian restaurant I used to work at, we had very popular menu item called “Fettuccine Bosciola”(meaning in the style of the forest).

This recipe is a fun play on the traditional ingredients, using them as the basis for a dish with yellow perch. Instead of the traditional ham, I’m using tongue here, and in place of the typical button mushrooms most places use I’m using a sauce made from dried yellowfoot chanterelles, which are really versatile. Since it’s finally spring time here in Minnesota, ramps make a great substitute for the onion component in the dish.

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Perch with Ramps, Peas, Tongue, and Yellowfoot Chanterelle Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 recipe dried yellowfoot chanterelle sauce follows
• 8 yellow perch filets scaled
• 1/2 cups shelled english peas frozen peas work fine too
• 1/2 cup ramp leaves sliced into 1/2 inch squares
• 1/4 cup sliced ramp bulbs and their red stems
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter plus a bit more for cooking
• 2 oz braised tongue or ham diced
• A 50/50 mix of fine and course cornmeal for dredging the perch

Instructions

• Heat the tongue and sliced ramps in a tbsp of unsalted butter on low heat. Add the peas, season to taste with salt and pepper and reserve.
• Before you saute the perch, add the ramp leaves to the pan with the tongue and sliced ramp bulbs.
• Heat a pan until with a tbsp of grapeseed oil and a tbsp of unsalted butter, season the perch with salt and pepper and roll in the cornmeal to coat. Cook the perch skin side down until golden, pressing on them with a spatula to prevent bowing and curling.
• When the perch are cooked through, turn the heat back on the peas just to warm them through, then place some of the pea, ramp and tongue mixture on each of four heated dinner plates. Place 2 pieces of perch on each plate, garnish with the yellowfoot chanterelle sauce and serve immediately.