How to Clean, Fillet & Cook Carp

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Cut the meat along the spine and belly and across the skull end of the fillet, and begin to pull the flesh toward the tail, slicing it off the bony ribs as you go (see Fig. 2). Once the piece of meat is free, wash it off and put it into the pan of salted water. Then turn the carp over and repeat the process on the other side.

About the leftovers: Richard Reed uses the huge volume of eggs in the female carp as food for his flock of mallards, and we find that our chickens like the roe mixed with their mash.

The rest of the carcass makes a high-quality fertilizer. We grind the leavings in our shredder-grinder, for easier spreading and less worry about turning up sharp bones in the garden next spring. Bury the fish-wastes deep, so the dogs and cats won't dig up the patch to get at them, and stand back . . . because those plants will begin to grow and produce like nothing you've ever seen before,

Meanwhile, though, you've just cut up your first carp and will probably want to have a fresh fish fry right away. Soak the meat for ten minutes in the salted water, pat it dry, and cut it crosswise into slices the size of fish sticks. Beat one egg in a bowl with a little milk, dip the fillet strips into this mixture, and roll them in whole wheat flour or cornmeal seasoned with salt, parsley, and sage. Then get the frying pan hot and add vegetable oil or shortening. Brown the coated fish on all sides. (We mix the leftover egg and milk with the seasoned flour and add a dash of baking powder to make a dinner pancake:)

You'll find your carp feast worthy of all that labor. Carp has both. light and dark meat and is fattier than most fish, with a texture that reminds us of tender pork. The meat also has numerous sharp bones when cooked fresh and will have to be carefully picked over bit by bit before being served to young children. (Well, you knew there had to be some disadvantages!)

To prepare fresh fillets for the freezer, we simply soak them overnight in the salt water, pat the pieces dry, wrap them in plastic sacks (old bread bags work fine), push all the air out of the packages, twist-tie the ends, and drive the supply to the freezer locker.

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