European Carp

Overview

European carp can be cooked either as fillets or whole, but are more manageable as fillets as the scales can be difficult to remove. The firm to medium texture and low oiliness of these finfish make them suitable for steaming, poaching and frying. European carp is often used for making fish balls, such as in the popular Jewish dish, gefilte fish. The fish is ground, mixed with eggs, matzo meal and seasonings, then shaped into balls and cooked in a vegetable or fish stock. European carp has strong, subtle flavours and are inexpensive to buy. Always ask for European carp that have been purged (allowed to swim in clean, fresh water) for about one week. Marinating overnight will help remove any muddy flavours.