Festive Crispy Fried Carp Steaks
Carp is cooked in many parts of Europe. Traditionally in Poland, it is part of the Christmas menu, in the Eastern parts of Germany is served on New Year's Eve and, in Bulgaria, for the St Nicholas Day celebration. There are many different recipes for cooking carp, but these beautifully crispy carp steaks are a constant crowd-pleaser and an authentic festive dish in Bulgaria.
Ingredients
- 2 kg carp sliced in steaks
- 2 large onions thinly sliced rounds
- sea salt and pepper to season
- 3/4 cup cornflower
- 3-4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 2 cups frying oil
- 5-6 large lemons
Instructions
Marinate the fish steaks overnight
- Cut the onions into round slices. Place half of the sliced onions on the bottom of an air-tight container. Rub the fish steaks with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then place them over the onion slices. Cover with the rest of the sliced onions. Seal the container. Leave the steaks to marinate overnight in the fridge.
- Juice 2-3 lemons and slice one lemon into thin slices. About 30 minutes before cooking the steaks, take them out of the fridge. Pour freshly squeezed lemon juice over every individual piece of fish. Cover each steak with a slice of lemon to keep the flavours inside and leave them out of the fridge to absorb the lemon flavours and get down to room temperature.
- Mix the breadcrumbs and the cornflour well in a bowl, then spread the batter on a large flat plate. Coat the carp steaks in the batter on all sides.
- Heat cooking oil in a large heavy-based frying pan on your hob. When the oil is hot, place the steaks in the pan and cook on each side for 5-6 minutes or until the steaks have a golden colour. The time for cooking the steaks will depend on their thickness. Place the cooked steaks on kitchen paper to drain the oil.
- Serve the crispy fried carp steaks straight out of the pan. Green salads, potato or bean salads are well-suited side to any fried fish, as well as, French fries or sauteed potatoes.