Of all river fish, crucian carp is one of the most famous. Crucian carp meat is extremely tasty - soft, white, rich in trace elements, phosphorus, fish oil (vitamin D), well-known for its benefits, and at the same time it is dietary, no more than 90 kcal per 100 g of product.
How to choose a fresh crucian carp
Obviously, you can only get all the health benefits of crucian carp if you have fresh fish. When choosing crucians for cooking, carefully examine the fish. This species belongs to the carp family. These are not very large fish: usually their length reaches no more than 40 cm, and their weight is 2 kg; goldfish can be found 50 cm in length, and such a crucian will weigh at least 3 kg. If the carcass is all elastic, its scales are clean and shiny, and the gills are pink or scarlet, then the fish is fresh. Do not take fish with dull and cloudy scales, covered with sticky mucus and, moreover, with a swollen abdomen and green gills.
Several "delicious" recipes
Fried crucian carp is very tasty and healthy. Take a few fish, thoroughly peel off the scales, gut. Before cooking crucian carp, be sure to remove the specific smell of river algae, for this, be sure to rinse the carp in water saturated with salt. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Make cross-cut cuts on the carcass, but not completely if you want to get rid of the bones. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet. It is better to take a frying pan with a thick bottom. Beat a few eggs and dust on a cutting board or table. Dip the carcasses in eggs, then flour and transfer to the pan. Fry on both sides until golden crispy.
For more than 400 years, the recipe for fried crucian carp with sour cream has been known. Fry the carp on both sides until golden brown. Chop the onion, fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Dilute sour cream a little with water, add fried onions to it, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate. As a side dish, boiled or mashed potatoes, crumbly rice or stewed vegetables are perfect.
Another curious dish is French fried crucian carp. To prepare it, peel the fish, gut, rinse and marinate for 15-20 minutes, immersed in dry white wine. Take a bowl, mix an egg, 2-3 tablespoons of flour in it, add ground pepper and salt. Roll the carcasses in the prepared egg mixture. Place the fish in a skillet with boiling vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown. Make sure that the roast does not burn or smoke. Remove excess oil after cooking with a paper towel. Put the fried fish on a plate, add bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes cut into rings, decorate the dish with finely chopped herbs.
