The Nile perch is also called Lake Victoria perch. However it is not a true perch… nor did it ever live in the Nile! Lake Victoria is the second largest natural lake in the world, covering over 80,000 km2 in Africa; it is surrounded by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and is the origin source for the Nile River.

Nile perch has gained international recognition and is considered one of the world's best table fishes.

Nutritional value
Nile Perch has the highest omega-3 content of any fish

Buying
Look for flesh that is firm, moist and has a pleasant fresh smell.

Storing
Wrap well in plastic wrap or place in a covered container.
Refrigerate for up to 3 days or you can freeze for up to 3 months providing your freezer operates at -18°C.

Preparing
Due to its low water content, it is recommended that you marinate Nile perch fillets for 15 minutes in court bouillon with your favorite spices before baking, broiling or barbecuing.

Cooking
Flavor: light and delicate
Texture: white, firm, flaky flesh

Nile perch contains very few bones, making it an excellent choice with which to introduce children to the pleasure of eating fish.

It can be grilled, fried, poached, sautéed, braised, roasted, steamed or served as kebabs or even sashimi. Because Nile perch has a low water content, it's best to marinate the fillets before broiling or barbecuing them.

Enjoying
Serve a simple pan-fried fillet topped with shallot sauce: sweat shallots in butter, add some dry vermouth and crème fraîche. Process in a blender until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

With aïoli: in a cocotte or Dutch oven, bring 500 ml (2 cups) water and 65 ml (1/4 cup) fish stock to a boil. Add vegetables (carrot, leek, zucchini, new onion) to this liquid. Five minutes before the vegetables are cooked, add the perch fillets and cook for 5 minutes. Drain; place everything on a large serving platter with a bowl of aioli.