Carp

I grew up along a river, but didn't ever get the fishing bug, but I did hear some rumors from a friend who did fish. They said that you are supposed to be able to prepare carp and actually be able to eat them. I take this as a total rumor. Every attempt that I've seen of this has evidenced wrinkled faces and a barely eaten fish in the compost. Anyway here is the "supposed" preparation method. Do not clean a carp like a normal fish! Pack it in river bank mud/muck and bake it on a rock or something around the fire. When the mud hardens and you think your carp is finished, knock or scrape the mud off and remove the skin with the mud. Eat it right off of the bones (lots of bones, so be careful) and avoid the mud vein (don't know where it is so be careful again).

If anyone else has heard of a method to prepare these flavor-demons then please let me know. Carp are common in my area. Starve or carp is one tough decision. I'd eat the worms first Carp can sometimes be caught by hand so in a rough spot they might fill your belly, but might empty it just as well if you aren't careful. The trouble is they are big fish usually and seem to be somewhat tempting until you touch it.

Offered by John.

To make common carp more edible: Have a container of clean water large enough to hold your fish and plenty of salt, throw the salt into the water and soak the (live) carp in the salt water. This will make the carp purge itself of the mud. This may take awhile (you may even need to wait until it drowns), but the wait will be worthwhile. Clean the carp thoroughly and stuff with rice mixed with onions, garlic, ginger and mixed herbs (or your own combination), heavily flour the outside of the carp and bake or fry till outside is crisp and inside tender, then peel the skin off and enjoy your meal. If you are still not happy with the taste pick the meat off the bones and pickle in vinegar, salt and peppercorns (black or white), or experiment with other ingredients such as chili.

Offered by Jan.