Eating Course Fish

Blunderer · Oct 11, 2004

I have been too Budapest this weekend where I had carp soup and catfish in garlic. I must say I felt a twinge of guilt, particularly over the carp, but then I rationalised it.
Anybody got any thoughts on this? Would anyone have a problem eating carp? I must say I was uphappy once becuase I saw both bream and carp on a fishmongers slab in Reading.

Graham Whatmore · Oct 11, 2004

Rather you than me mate, never have, never wanted to and never will, not for aesthetic reasons, just don't fancy it. I know many eastern Europeans eat course fish but thats probably because most of them have no coastline and they live a lot closer to the earth than we do. What comes natural to them wouldn't do for me though I'm afraid.

Tony Roberts · Oct 11, 2004

more importantly, did it taste good? ive heard carp has quite an earthy taste - i interpreted earthy as nasty....

sash · Oct 11, 2004

Most coarse do taste very good actually. I've eaten carp, tench, bream (horrible), roach (ditto), eels, pike, perch and zander in Europe and most were excellent. Wouldn't take most of them for the pot myself of course but have no problem eating them in countries that have more sustainable stocks.

Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA) · Oct 11, 2004

I've never eaten them but pike,perch & grayling are supposedly the pick of the edible coarse fish.

I dont see any ethical problem with taking an occasional fish for the pot where there are no concerns as to stock densities etc.It would depend on the water quality however - a nice clean chalk stream OK but not a mucky canal.

I did have a thing once for tinned dace in back bean sauce from China but dont know if they were dace as we know them.

Gudgeon fry-ups were a poular pastime for the upper-classes on the Thames in the 19th century by all accounts.

Ergo · Oct 11, 2004

In order to get a carp or suchlike fit for eating you need to keep it for several days in fresh flowing water.

You then top it, gut it, descale it and thoroughly wash the insides.

Take a bunch up chopped up dill and stuff the insides. Bung it in a fish kettle and add copious amounts of white wine/water.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and leave it for no more than 5 minutes. Remove the fish from the juice and keep warm. Reduce the juices and add a little butter and cream. Serve. I'm getting hungry now

alan · Oct 11, 2004

Blunderer, do you eat cod, haddock bass, etc?

whats the differance between eating a sea fish and a fresh water fish?

i bet most of the lakes/rivers are better stocked then the sea.

Bill Eborn · Oct 11, 2004

I saw a recipe once for a Burgundy fish stew made with red wine. I assume that since Burgundy is miles from the sea that it was originally intended to be made with coarse fish. The red wine presumably covering up the muddy taste of the fish. Apparently, one of the names for Chub in France is 'Truite de Pauvre' - Trout of Poor.

Wolfman Woody · Oct 11, 2004

I ran a match a few years ago to which were invited 10 of the International match lads who'd fish for England. Afterwards we had a very elaborate buffet, but it was ALL fish and all coarse fish!

The crap was tasty and you can easily get a liking for it, mirrors of course which were bread for eating. However, crucians are nice as well as are perch of course. Wasn't too keen on roach and bream* you can keep. There was eels mounted on the table around candlesticks as well, but I didn't see anyone carving a slice off them.

We didn't have barbel, but Bob James knows a good recipe for grilled geugeons of barbel in a Hollandaise sauce. Or so he says!

Wolfman Woody · Oct 11, 2004

"The crap was tasty" Yes, I know!

Should be - The carp was tasty.

Neil Howard 4 · Oct 12, 2004

Pike are just full of bones plus it taste of mud.

Rod MacAskill · Oct 12, 2004

A friend of mine has a liking for eating coarse fish, having tried most species, and he assures me that the best are grayling, eels and zander. He has even had aspirations of opening a freshwater fish restaurant. Some strange people about!!

Peter Jacobs · Oct 12, 2004

Nigel,

Was the Gudgeon recipe that for Gudgeon Tanzy? This was a pan fried gudgeon in butter and a little onion with the last minute addition of sweet biscuit, if my memory serves me well.

I have eaten Pike, Perch and Grayling in Scandinavia and theywere very good, although I just cannot bring myself to killing a fish for the table.

alan · Oct 12, 2004

Rod, you said "He has even had aspirations of opening a freshwater fish restaurant. Some strange people about!!" how is that any differant to a sea fish resturant?

Wolfman Woody · Oct 12, 2004

* Meant to say after my last posting (late at night, needed sleep) that I have an old Irish recipe for cooking coarse bream.

You need a piece of timber, preferably Oak, but pine is ok. It must be large enough to rest the bream on and you nail it down through the head and tail. Boil up a pan of water and turn the timber over on top of it hwen the water boils so that it cooks in the steam.

After about 1? hours take the bream off the wood, throw away the bream and eat the wood.

Blunderer · Oct 12, 2004

Not the reaction I expected, I must say!
I thought the carp was OK but a bit bland and muddy, but it was in a delicious soup. the catfish was actually similar - nice sauce but poor fish.
There was zander ("pike-perch") on all the menus over there. I also saw "Blue trout"(?)
None of you have mentioned eels, by the way. Eels are absolutely lovely as long as they are not jellied. Braised eels in pie and mash shops and china town are good, but smoked eel is delicious with lemon juice and onion. We are one of the only countries in Europe who do not prize smoked eels as a delicacy.
Hugh Fearnley Whittinstall catches a carp, cleans it for a few days in his stream them eats it in his program. HJe also jellies a pike.
Cheeky Monkey, I like the breeam recipe.LOL!!!!

Rod MacAskill · Oct 12, 2004

You are probably right Alan in the fact that a freshwater restaurant is no different to opening a sea fish restaurant. I suppose it is just that some describe coarse fish as being 'muddy' 'blandy''earthy' and this is what I would imagine the taste to be like although not having tried them I suppose I shouldnt jump to conclusions. Also I wouldnt know where to get stocks of coarse fish from legally for the table. There used to be a good fish market in Sheffield that sold bream,roach,pike etc which I believe was popular with the West Indian community but this has now gone. I once asked the seller where he got his fish from and he said Ireland.

Ron Troversial Clay · Oct 12, 2004

I have eaten most coarse fish in my life.

Here is my list in terms of edibility:

1: Zander. Absolutely superb.

2: Perch: A lovely nutty flavour.

3: Eels: Excellent.

4: Pike: A jack of about 4 lbs is not bad.

5: Tench: They taste a bit like rainbow trout.

6: Carp: Small ones from clean water cooked German style are very good.

7: Gudgeon: A bit like whitebait but more nutty.

I have not included grayling as I consider them to be a game fish.

The rest of the coarse fish are pretty awful. I have never eaten a barbel or a dace.

Personally I do not object to anyone eating any of our coarse fish that are good to eat and are in profusion. Somehow it takes us back to our roots.

petsrod · Oct 13, 2004

Never heard of course fish!!!!

petsrod · Oct 13, 2004

See 'Hugh fearnley whittingstall' catch, prepare and cook a large grass carp for a snobs dinner party on I think it's called 'River Cottage'

The snobs said they loved the carp!!!

Eating Course Fish

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