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Fried Christmas carp
Karp smażony: Christmas Eve carp steaks dusted in flour and fried golden
PolishFor many Polish families, Wigilia, the meatless Christmas Eve supper, is not complete without fried carp, bought live from market tanks in mid-December or, more often today, cleaned and cut into steaks at the fishmonger. The steaks are salted, floured and fried until the skin crisps and the white flesh turns sweet and juicy. Serve with boiled potatoes, sauerkraut with peas, or simply bread and a lemon wedge, after the beetroot barszcz. Keeping a scale from the Christmas carp in your wallet is said to bring money all year. Carp has a reputation for tasting muddy, and the usual culprit is skipping the salting and resting time. Ask the fishmonger to score the steaks finely so the small Y-shaped bones soften as they fry. Chef's tip: salt the steaks and leave them in the fridge for 20 minutes, then pat completely dry; the flesh firms up and the flour clings in a thin, even crust.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the carp
- 2 ⅝ lb carp steaks, skin on, scaled (2–3 cm thick)about 6 steaks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ⅛ oz plain flour
To serve
- 1 lemon (optional)cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse the 2 ⅝ lb carp steaks, skin on, scaled (2–3 cm thick), check for stray scales and pat dry. Season both sides with the 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and a sprinkle of 1 tbsp lemon juice. Cover and leave in the fridge for 20 minutes.
22 minStep 2: Pat the steaks completely dry with kitchen paper and dredge them in the 2 ⅛ oz plain flour on all sides, shaking off the excess.
3 minStep 3: Heat the ½ cup vegetable or rapeseed oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat until a pinch of flour sizzles at once.
2 minStep 4: Fry the steaks in a single layer, in batches if needed, for 5–6 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and crisp.
6 minStep 5: Turn and fry the other side for 5 minutes. The flesh is done when it is opaque right to the backbone and flakes easily; lower the heat slightly for thick steaks so the crust does not burn.
5 minStep 6: Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve hot with 1 lemon wedges and 2 tbsp fresh parsley.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does fried Christmas carp take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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