Stuffed Wild Carp Baked with Vegetables and Lemon
Here the sour cream is spread inside the belly cavity before the stuffing goes in, and that's the main difference from ordinary stuffing. The vegetables inside release juice, but on their own they're dry underneath; the sour cream beneath them works as a layer and keeps the belly cavity from sticking to its own stuffing.
Dill goes next to the fish, not inside it. Inside the belly cavity it turns black within an hour and turns bitter, while on the tray next to the fish it simply flavors the steam moving under the foil.
A three-kilogram fish needs an hour and a quarter, not an hour. Twenty minutes per kilogram is the norm for a whole fish, and under foil that's more of a lower bound than an upper one: foil slows down the heating.
Stuffing the fish isn't the only route: juicy wild carp in foil with tomatoes keeps the vegetables on top instead, and whole wels catfish baked with potatoes and garlic skips any filling at all.
Caloric content: 135kcal
Preparing the fish
Cutting the onion and tomatoes
Preparing the carrot and lemon
Stuffing the fish
Adding lemon and dill, baking
Serving
Notes
- Sour cream goes both inside and on top. Inside it's a layer under the stuffing, on top it's a coating against drying out. These are two different jobs.
- Dill goes next to the fish, not into the belly cavity. Inside it turns black and bitter within an hour.
- An hour and a quarter, not an hour. Twenty minutes per kilogram for a three-kilogram fish. Under foil the heating is slower, so the extra time is needed.
- Lemon goes on top. Inside the belly cavity its seeds turn bitter within an hour, and there's nothing in the stuffing to mask it.
- Leftover vegetables go alongside. A stuffed belly cavity splits along the seams — whatever doesn't fit goes on the tray.
Questions and Answers
How long to bake a stuffed wild carp?
An hour and a quarter at 180 °C for a three-kilogram fish: twenty minutes per kilogram plus a quarter of an hour for the foil.
Why coat the belly cavity with sour cream from the inside?
It works as a layer under the stuffing and keeps the belly cavity from sticking to the vegetables.
Why isn't dill put inside?
Inside the belly cavity it turns black and bitter within an hour. Next to the fish on the tray it does the same job without that effect.
What can replace sour cream?
Thick yogurt or cream at 20% fat or more. Low-fat products separate under foil.
Recipe and step-by-step photos — kolizhanka.net.ua.