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Golden breaded perch fillets on a white plate with lemon wedges and parsley, set on a pale marble counter

Crispy Pan-Fried Perch Fillets alla Milanese Style

Perch fillets breaded in parmesan breadcrumbs and pan-fried in butter until golden, ready in about 35 minutes.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian (Northern Italy)
Calories: 342
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 perch fillets fillets (about 150 g each); boneless, skin off
  • 40 g flour for dredging
  • 2 eggs large; beaten
  • 100 g dry breadcrumbs fine, not panko
  • 20 g parmesan finely grated
  • 60 g butter divided
  • 1 tbsp olive oil divided, helps prevent the butter from scorching
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 lemon cut into wedges
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Method
 

Bread the fillets
  1. Pat the perch fillets dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Set up three shallow dishes: flour in the first, the beaten eggs in the second, and the breadcrumbs mixed with the parmesan in the third.
  3. Dredge each fillet in flour, shaking off the excess, then dip in the egg, then press into the breadcrumb mix so the crust sticks on both sides.
Fry and serve
  1. Melt half the butter with half the olive oil in a 12-inch / 30 cm nonstick skillet over medium heat until it foams and the foam starts to subside.
  2. Add two breaded fillets to the pan, leaving space between them, and fry for 3 minutes per side until the crust is deep gold and the fish reaches 63C / 145F on an instant-read thermometer.
  3. Transfer the cooked fillets to a wire rack set over a plate to drain.
  4. Wipe out the pan, melt the remaining butter and oil, and repeat with the last two fillets.
  5. Season the hot fillets with a pinch of flaky salt as they come out of the pan.
  6. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and a scatter of chopped parsley.

Notes

  • Use fillets of even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
  • Keep the butter at a steady sizzle, not a hard bubble, to avoid dark specks.
  • Check doneness at 63C / 145F internal, or use a fork-flake test if you have no thermometer.
  • Do not stack breaded fillets before frying, the crust will stick together.