Ideal as fillets or whole, and well suited to baking, shallow frying, grilling, barbequing and poaching. The fillets, which are meaty, sturdy and retain their shape when cooked, are well suited to stir-fries, soups, risottos and pasta dishes.

Golden perch js particularly good steamed and marries well with the Asian flavours of chilli, coriander, soy, ginger end garlic. It is prized in Chinese cuisine for presentation as a steamed fin-fish.

Stuffing a whole Murray cod with wild rice and lemon zest, then baking it wrapped in foil, seals in the flavours, keeps it moist, and presents wonderfully.

Silver perch flesh can be relatively moist when fresh but is otherwise dry. It is best prepared with a medium-flavoured sauce. Wolfgang Schmelcher formerly from the Renaissance Hotel in Sydney uses a citrus crust to accentuate its flavour. It is often used by caterers as it holds together well, even when poached.