It is a countdown for those who love the perch, the good one that is fished in the major northern lakes: on May 20th ends the (very right) biological rest that began on April 15th. And the cooks like Cesare Battistthe – patron of the Milanese Ratanà – are ready to interpret it at its best. Because we are talking about a great fish product, not yet known by everyone, but that drives lovers crazy. «And you can immediately start enjoying it – explains Battisti – because it makes no sense to fish it near the catch, as the females are full of eggs. But in a few days we will already find excellent ones . Every cook has his own preferences about the perch of the four great lakes, Battisti prefers the Garda one because it does not give problems of quantity ("I need 50 to 80 kg per week, in season") and lives in cleaner waters – according to the latest analysis – than the Lario, Ionian and Verbania ones. "It is a fish out of the ordinary, it cannot be bred and it is a predator so it feeds only on fishes: hence a unique consistency of the meat, a surprising sweetness and a flavor that conquers," explains the chef.

Now it is also in fishmongers

Battisti has great merit: he was the first to propose freshwater fish under the Madonnina, in a modern way, practically with at least one recipe in the Ratanà card. And in ten years it has become one of the masters of a kitchen, often underestimated for its geographical limitation, not easy but which gives great emotion. "One thing that pleases me is the possibility, once unthinkable, of finding trout and perch even in the fish ponds of the city. Obviously I buy directly from the fishermen, but at least it is possible for an enthusiast not to be forced to go to the lakes to recover the raw material . Among the dishes that Battisti prefers, there is the Zfreshwater fish uppa which he proposes to readers of La Cucina Italiana. «I have a historical passion for all the versions with sea fish and therefore I have reasoned on how to interpret it with lacustrine raw material. The important thing is that it is very fresh, so as to maintain light fragrances, and it is cooked excessively: the result is formidable, it surprises those who have never tasted it

Battisti's advice

We take advantage of Battisti for some advice on how to prepare the perch. "The classic butter and sage requires cooking at very low temperatures, making the first foam without burning it because the fillets must be soft and not crunchy. Obviously never save on butter that must be natural, in the short term. Sage leaves should be put only at the end, when the butter will become nutty, raising the temperature in pans a little. " Also widespread is the fried version, passed in flour and egg – they become practically pancakes. or by adding bread (also panko, lately) and always in the egg. At Ratanà a special recipe is prepared where the perch is accompanied by a sauce made from the comic strip (head, thorn and skin of the fish itself) and pulled with saffron. Alongside a mashed potato with grated cedar, to remember the Garda. But for Battisti, the "death" of the perch is with the big rice: a popular recipe on Lake Como, often not prepared as it should be. "The best rice for me is Carnaroli but Vialone Nano is also fine, it is cooked with half a clove of garlic in shirt and large butter – he explains – when you jump, you add the fresh chopped sage. For 60 g of rice, we put four fish fillets. The important thing is that the rice is shelled, rubbed with butter and once the dish is finished, no seasoning remains on the bottom. A not easy recipe that gives great satisfaction to those who taste it but also to those who prepare it

Fresh water fish soup
Ingredients for four people

1 kg and ½ kg of assorted lake fish (birds, perch, whitefish, trout, with three or four freshwater prawns if desired)
2 anchovies
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 bunch of basil
3 ripe tomatoes – if you are not in season 1 tablespoon of concentrate

Preparation
Clean and bone the fish, leaving the fillets aside.
With bones, skin and head, prepare a comic (small stock) of fish and, when it is reduced,
add the tomato.
Meanwhile, next, take a casserole and with a little extra virgin olive oil e
1 clove of garlic, brown the anchovy fillets until they are dissolved.
Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with 1 glass of white wine and place it
inside all the fish fillets and the comic strip.
Add salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook for about 10-12min.
After that, taking care not to break the fillets, drain them and place them on a plate
bottom. If necessary, reduce the broth a little more and then sprinkle the fillets with the liquid
boiling. Perfume with a basil leaf and accompany with bread crusts.

And here instead the great classic, the recipe for risotto with perch from La Cucina Italiana