Carp in Batter, Pan-Fried
Batter on carp solves exactly one problem, and it is not about taste. Carp flesh is soft and its intermuscular bones are small and numerous — in a hot pan an unbreaded piece falls apart and sticks. The layer of flour and egg sets first and holds the piece together while the fish inside cooks through.
That is why you take a large fish. In a carp of a kilo and up the bones are thicker and longer, you can see them and see where the knife goes; a small carp under batter turns into solid bony mush, and no breading fixes that.
Why the pan stays uncovered
Under a lid the steam stays inside, the batter takes up moisture and instead of a crust you get a soft film. Fry over high heat in an open pan, and pour in enough oil for the piece to sit half-submerged — otherwise the bottom burns before the top has set.
What to do before the pan
Carp from wild water almost always smells of silt more strongly than pond carp — that is not spoilage but the mud it feeds in. The smell goes with the black film inside the belly: scrape it off to the last shred, and only then salt the fish.
The same batter works with perch and pike-perch; the difference is time — their flesh is denser and they need a couple of minutes more. If you have a lot of carp, set part of it aside for drying: fried fish does not keep long.
Batter is not the only thing to do with a carp. The heads and backbone left after filleting go into Carp Head Fish Soup, and the roe most easily becomes Fried Carp Roe with Onion.
Fillet the carp
Scale and gut the fish, scrape off the black film inside the belly, remove the head and fins. Cut the fillets off the backbone, pick out the bones, rinse in cold water and cut into small pieces. Salt them.
Make the batter
Beat two eggs with a fork together with salt and mixed peppercorns. Put the flour into a separate bowl — it has to stand next to the egg.
Flour first
Roll the pieces in flour on all sides. Dry flour takes the moisture off the fish, so the egg then holds instead of running off.
Then the egg
Dip the floured piece into the beaten egg and move it to the pan straight away — it cannot wait, the batter will run off.
Fry without a lid
Heat enough oil and fry over high heat until the crust is crisp and golden on both sides. Do not cover the pan.
Blot the oil
Put the finished pieces on a paper towel to let the excess oil drain off, and only then move them to the plate.
Notes
How long to fry. Go by colour, not by the clock: the crust should be evenly golden on both sides. A thick piece of fillet is about four minutes a side, a thin edge half of that — so put the thin pieces into the pan later.
Excess oil. Put the finished pieces on a paper towel rather than straight onto the plate, otherwise the batter takes the oil back and the crust collapses.
Roe. If you find roe inside, do not fry it together with the fish: the membranes have to be removed separately, and it cooks faster than fillet.
Spawning season. A spawning ban applies to carp in spring, and the dates are set by the regional department of the State Fisheries Agency in its annual order — they differ from region to region.
Recipe and photos — kolizhanka.net.ua
