A Nile perch Found in almost all freshwater lakes in tropical Africa, he is usually the local hot face, i.e. he is at the top of the food chain, or rather swims, provided there are no crocodiles around. The Nile perch is one of the largest freshwater fish, growing up to two metres long and two metres in length. Its flesh has been eaten since ancient times, and it was so popular that a city in Egypt and Greece was named after it, Latopolis.
Why were they fishing so much? Because its meat is tasty, nutritious, versatile and - although this was not known in ancient times - nowadays filleted, portioned is also available, which means it's perfect for restaurants, hotels, other catering establishments, or even for a Saturday night at home.
The chef of the Zöldfa restaurant in Győr, Nándor Felföldi, was inspired by the fillet of Nile perch and used it to create three dishes that are not only delicious, but also beautiful, as the chef's own photos show.
- All three meals are gluten and lactose free. The first course is Indian inspired, a flavour I really like. Pakora perch (here I cooked the fish in a batter made of chickpea flour and Indian spices) with bulgur and buckwheat rice and Bengali tomato chutney.
The second is a Thai vegetable soup with coconut milk, lime, coriander, topped with Nile perch with carpaccio, i.e. marinated fish sliced thinly.
And the third is a rice pasta stir-fried in pumpkin cream, on which rests a fish fried in cornflour, topped with toasted peanuts and fried courgette julienne.
- One looks better than the other. What has your experience been like with this Nile perch to work?
- Very easy. It has a good texture, not one that releases moisture constantly under pressure, but rather a firm flesh. It's coated with ice one at a time, so can be used with minimal loss, excellent value for money.
- What would you advise the average housewife who buys one of these to make?
- Practically anything can be stir-fried, grilled, and topped with a variety of side dishes. I prefer my fish grilled, but it's a really great ingredient, you can do anything with it. You can get it without the skin, so it won't shrink and it won't stick. Before grilling, I recommend a little cornmeal, roll it around, it absorbs the moisture and makes a very tasty stew and looks good.
