Carp, like any other fish, requires prior preparation before any heat treatment. It consists of cleaning, removing the entrails and slicing. Only after this preliminary work can the carp be cooked for one or another dish.
Before we start cleaning the carp, we need to wash it. This is done separately from everything else, so that the other products do not absorb the odor of fish. Dishes used and contaminated with fish are washed very carefully and then they're cleaned with vinegar.
If the dishes are not washed well, there is a danger that a cake, dessert or other dish will smell like fish. Remember, however, that this odor may in some cases simply be due to the joint storage in the refrigerator of caviar, fish and pastries or other products.
When you start cleaning the fish, start off with the scales. The fish is grabbed by the tail with the left hand and the knife is held with the right hand - with the blade against the scales. They are scraped, by being careful not to cut the skin of the fish with the knife. The fins are cut with scissors.
When cleaning carp, it is a good idea to remove the bone, which is located at the top of the head, at its junction with the body of the fish. Leaving this bone often causes the unpleasant and sometimes even bitter taste of the dish.
Carp are cleaned through the back, not through the abdomen, like other fish. It is cut along the spine and the entrails are removed from there.
Another option is to remove the inside of the carp through the gills. They need to be gripped tightly and pulled.
When cleaning carp, be careful not to tear the intestines, which often contain worms, as they can spread all over the fish. After removing the entrails, the fish is washed well under running water. The cleaned carp is then subjected to culinary processing, either whole or cut into pieces.
If you have already cleaned the carp, we also have a delicious recipe for you with carp:
Oven-baked stuffed carp
Required products: 1 pc. (2 kg) carp, 1 bunch of spring onions, 5-6 pcs. (300 g) of red tomatoes, 1/2 cup (100 g) of walnuts, 5-6 pcs. (100 g) of fresh mushrooms, 1/2 cup (100 ml) of white wine, 125 g of butter, 10 peppercorns, 1/2 bunch parsley and salt.
How to prepare: The carp is cleaned and washed as described. Sprinkle it generously inside and out with salt and crushed black pepper. The finely chopped spring onions and mushrooms are stewed in some of the fat. To them are added some of the finely chopped tomatoes, ground walnuts, finely chopped parsley, a few grains of black pepper, wine and as much salt as you like.
Fill the carp with the resulting mixture. Then sew it and place it in a greased baking pan. Cover the top with slices of the remaining tomatoes and pour the remaining butter and 1/2 cup of water. Bake it in a moderately heated oven, until it's ready.
Also check out these suggestions for delicious carp:
- stuffed carp;
- carp soup;
- breaded carp;
