Pan fried or sauteed yellow perch

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

6 sm Yellow perch
7-9 " long
4 tb Bacon fat or lard Salt and pepper
4 tb Butter Cornmeal
1 Lemon (opt.)

Instructions:

Dress scale and what the fish pat dry salt and pepper then dredge them in the meal or meal-flour combination. Heat the fat until it is hot enough to cook at once but not burning sputtering hot. Lay in the fish turn heat down to barely a medium flame and begin to brown the fish. Keep the fish loose from the pan bottom with a thin metal spatula. Taking 8-10 minutes to a side (turn heat low if it seems to fry too fast) brown the fish slowly until crisp. Do not overcook. When the flesh is opaque the fish is done; one hopes it's all browned by then. Add 4 Tbs. butter to the skillet after removing the fish and squeeze in the juice of a lemon stir the fat and juices to loosen the dredgings and pour over the browned fish. VARIATION: After removing the fish from the skillet toss about 1/3 cup of chopped black walnuts. Brown lightly with the remaining butter and sprinkle over the fish before serving.