Carp is one of the most popular types of fish nowadays, but it was not always so. In the past, this fish was thought to be unfit for consumption. Whenever they caught it, fishermen would throw it out or use it as bait. These days, carp are larger and taste better.
In order to clean carp for eating, all you need is some time and a sharp knife.
Cleaning carp
Place the carp on a flat surface with the head toward you and find the gills. Slide the knife in the space behind the gills and move it toward the spine. Stop once you feel bone. Continue to cut along the entire length of the carp to the tail.
Lift the skin that you have just cut and place the knife within the carp. Slice along the length of the fish, until you reach the stomach. This way you will get a large piece of fillet. Cut it off and set it aside.
Press the lower part of the tail with your hand, making sure to place it where there is only skin and no meat. Slide the knife under the skin, between it and the meat. Move the knife slowly toward the front of the carp, in order to remove the fillet.
Locate the dark red part in the middle of the fish fillet. This is a muscle with a taste that most people find uninviting. It must be removed. This is done by cutting along one side along the length, as well as on the bottom. The same is done on the other side and the muscle is removed.
Next, remove the rest of the fillet - from the bottom part of the fish. This is more difficult because the bones are small and their removal is relatively troublesome. Carefully place the knife between the skin and the meat and slowly cut lengthwise along the fish.
Wash the resulting pieces of fillet. They are then ready for heat treatment. As well as in fillet form, carp can be consumed whole. To do this, clean it on the inside, with the incision again being on its top. This procedure is different from the one shown thus far, since the goal here is for the fish to remain whole, as well the stuffing, placed within it.
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