The other white meat

[Rusty]

Many times I have heard that carp are the most misunderstood fish when it comes to cooking and eating. I for one, am a person that is willing to try about anything when it comes to food. However, in my lifetime, carp have been labeled the trash fish of the waters. I am trying to overcome this, but I am really not sure if I can. Can anyone give suggestions on prepping and cooking.

Russ

[gonefishin]

Many times I have heard that carp are the most misunderstood fish when it comes to cooking and eating. I for one, am a person that is willing to try about anything when it comes to food. However, in my lifetime, carp have been labeled the trash fish of the waters. I am trying to overcome this, but I am really not sure if I can. Can anyone give suggestions on prepping and cooking.

Russ

Russ are you talking about carp or suckers? A lot of people confuse the two.

When I was really young I had family members who cooked carp regularly, I remember thinking fish just weren't fit to eat and wouldn't touch it. A few years later I ate real fish and realized there was more to fish than carp.

Years later I was on a fishing trip with some friends who caught some carp in some really clear cold water. They were telling me you that you never leave the skin on carp and you have to trim off all the red meat. There wasn't a lot of meat left when they were done cleaning those carp however, what was left was decent tasting after it was fried up.

They told me carp has to be eaten fresh and hot and to never freeze carp as it gets really strong tasting and mushy after being frozen. Too much work for me when there are other fish swimming around.

A lot of people confuse carp with suckers; there is a big difference. One is that carp aren't a native fish to America they were introduced in the 1800s if I remember correctly. Another thing is suckers prefer clean water; they don't wallow around in the mud and stir it up like carp do. Suckers don't have nearly as much red meat on them as carp. Suckers arent bad eating at all.

Suckers have a lot of really tiney bones in them. The best way to handle them is to score the fish before frying it. To score them just take a good sharp filleting knife and cut through the flesh about every quarter inch for the length of the fillet. Then roll the fillet in corn meal/flour salt and pepper, or curshed corn flakes and work as much it into the score marks. Deep fry the fillets in very hot oil. The bones are so fine that they will all but dissolve in the hot oil.

The Europeans love carp of course what would one expect from people who eat kidneys. Personally I think we should gather all of our carp up and send them to Europe.

Bud

[Seth]

Just get rid of the red meat out of carp, suckers, or other "trash fish" as people like to say and that will make them taste delicious.

I like to score mine up pretty good on both sides, but not so much that the fillets fall apart. Fry them good and crisp and that will take care of most of the problem with bones.

a mess of carp and suckers along with some hot grease and some Andy's make for some darn good eatin!!!!