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Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Hardwater Cuisine => Topic started by: jackperch on Jan 20, 2019, 03:08 PM

Title: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: jackperch on Jan 20, 2019, 03:08 PM

Yesterday, after icing a dozen jumbo perch in NJ, I tried using John McPhee's shad roe recipe from his book "The Founding Fish." It works! Here's how you do it: Put an unbroken layer of bacon in a skillet and place roe sacks on top. I had ten roe sacks and used about eight pieces of bacon.  Add black pepper if desired. Turn heat to medium. When the bacon starts to sizzle, turn the heat down and COVER until all you can hear is a LOW sizzle.  Set timer for 35 mins and let it keep slowly cooking covered. After 35 minutes, carefully drain excess grease in garbage, then put skillet with roe and bacon back on stove and turn heat up UNCOVERED until bacon crisps, just another minute or two.  Finally take a plate and carefully flip the bacon/roe onto the plate so the bacon faces upward.  If you did it right, you will have a roof of crisp bacon fused into the roe, which now is on the bottom.  Last, squeeze lemon on the whole deal, cut up and eat.  The roe takes on some of the bacon flavor, but does not overcook.  It has a very firm consistency -- almost bread like.  I found it delicious, and will never toss away another perch roe sack -- something that always made me feel a little guilty. Hope you enjoy, and if you want to follow the recipe to the letter, pick up McPhee's book, which is an excellent read regardless.

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: MILLERMANKT on Jan 20, 2019, 10:49 PM

sounds interesting, i've always wanted to try the egg saks

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: esox_xtm on Jan 22, 2019, 12:03 PM

Well... bacon makes everything better. Great-grandma used to request all our pannie egg sacs, her favorite was bluegill. She just fried 'em up in butter or bacon grease with salt and pepper. I tried it and never got the taste for it. Also tried "caviar-izing" it and that was... nothing special. With actual bacon to lend some texture this may possibly be something I'd enjoy.

Thanks for sharing!

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: KenC73 on Jan 25, 2019, 10:05 AM

jackperch, I am a new jersey guy and was wondering where you found good ice? thanks for any info.

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: jackperch on Jan 26, 2019, 05:10 PM

Lake Hopatcong last Saturday.  Not sure about now...

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: mojoice on Jan 31, 2019, 10:01 AM

 :P sounds very interesting but I agree bacon cant ruin anything. Think ill stick with fill
ets

Title: Re: Hooray! Finally found a way to cook perch roe!
Post by: missoulaicebeerdog on Feb 03, 2019, 10:27 PM

I like to do the row sack just like the perch.  Egg wash, flour then panko into peanut oil.  It's delicious!