carp......

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marcus ballam

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I work with a polish bloke, who is a chef, who ordered some carp from a fish market in london.

Two small 3lb mirror carp arrived this morning, and one was under the grill in no time.

I have to say it tasted quite good, not muddy at all. Anybody else tried it?
 
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Mainer

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Carp is a specialty in the region of Germany where I live. I've eaten a few of them myself, they're not bad, but I'd rather eat seafish (cod, pollock, haddock.)
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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They had some in Waitrose,Marcus last week so they are going mainstream it seems.
 
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Evan

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"Going" mainstream ?

My local chinese supermarket has had freezers full of imported Asian Carp (and they ARE genuinely an apalling pest species wherever they get a hold, have a look at some of the websites about the Canadian great lakes experience) ever since I can remember.

Not surprising really that retailers are looking for substitutes for the raped sea fish now nearing extinction.

Am I the only one who now refuses to buy Cod any more ?

Carp 'n chips on the high street ain't that far away I fear. Let's just make sure that it is frozen imported carp as far as we can.
 
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Evan

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Farmed carp opens the door to a domestic market in wetfish carp, ie. fresh and not frozen.

If that happens then no waterway or carp in this country is safe... who is to tell where the dead fresh carp over the arm of the nice Polish chap in the farmers market or at the back door of the kitchen came from.

Whereas if the culinary aspect of commercial carp is confined to

(a) a species that isn't domestically available (ie. Asian Carp) and

(b) is attributably trackable in frozen form

then you prevent the further development of a market for domestic carp.

Plus which for commercial purposes any restaurant or fish 'n chip shop is not going to be interested in the odd fish here and there, irregularly supplied. They need a proper commercial quantity by the stone crate(s) delivered regularly and on time. Which may be the true salvation against stolen carp....

[Edit]Plus which it would diminish the temptation for some bright spark to give in to the temptation to try and introduce or breed Asian carp in this country - God help us if someone should so so. We know just how responsible culinary suppliers are - look at all those nice signal crayfish in our rivers now[/Edit]
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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Compared to Waitrose Evan, your local Chinese supermarket is hardly mainstream is it, not where I come from anyway, hence the comment?

Compared to other countries our average consumption of fish is very small so I suspect the carp are safe for a year or two yet.
 
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Evan

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Wasn't disagreeing in that sense Nigel, was just trying to point out that it is already "mainstream" in other ethnic markets and cuisines with an already well developed significant import infrastructure. It is only in the conventional white anglo saxon british perception that carp is not a mainstream highly valued and appreciated food fish.

It's not exactly a huge step from there for the likes of Waitrose, Sainsburys etc to get in on the act.

Twenty years ago the avocado was a strange weird green thing and the Kiwi fruit was not even another green bump on the horizon...
 
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Nigel Connor(ACA ,SAA)

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I take your point Evan, although it is of course ironic that carp were originally introduced to the country as a food fish.We are going full circle.

You could look at it the other way in that if waitrose stock fresh carp then our EE cousins do not need to catch their own??I have not seen them since in Waitrose so I suspect it is a short lived experiment.
 
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Mainer

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Perch and pike are much better eating fish than the carp, imho. I like perch nearly as much as sea fish. Back home, in the States, we fish for perch as a food fish.
 
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Frothey

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not sure theres too many immigrants shopping in waitrose nigel, they even have a better class of shoplifter!

hope they use uk farmed ones...it'll stop them going into fisheries!
 
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Steaker de Lurker

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As a UK angler. I have grown up with, adopted and abide by, the attitudes toward coarse stock, prevalent amongst the majority of UK coarse anglers.
The coarse and predatory fish in our inland waters, unlike the game varieties, sustain and are the foundation of the sport of coarse angling.
I have no interest in anyone elses' choice of fish for their table.
I have caught and prepared, recognised food fish for consumption. The results have always proved disappointing in comparison to the products available from commercial outlets.(eg. chip shops, restaurants etc.)
Perhaps I may have an in-bred aversion to eating my catch, as a consequence of the values I traditionally grew up with.
I am considerate in the welfare of the species I target for sport and for the environment from which they're derived.
This thread may simply be an excercise in mischief, intended to create a contentious debate, for the purposes of entertainment.
Personally I and my peer group, regard the issue of taking coarse fish for food, grossly abhorrent and consider any such practice totally unacceptable.
Fortunately this is something we have never encountered and the resultant reaction, a matter for conjecture.
Enjoy your meal!



 
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Mainer

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Good point, streaker de lurker, about values you grew up with: with me it's exactly the opposite. My dad taught me to eat what I catch. I do practice catch and release most of the time, that there may be fish for my children to catch as well.
There is also the cultural aspects to consider. I live in Germany now, where it is illegal to practice catch and release: it is considered cruelty to animals.
As far as the environment: the constant killing of the catch here in Germany has created a huge imbalance in the population of predator species to prey species. As a result, for example, the Altmuhlsee (a man made lake near Gunzenhausen) has to be fished with nets every year to keep the population of bream within what the lake can support.
 
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Steaker de Lurker

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Mainer, I can respect that attitudes relating to fish-kill, continually vary from nation to nation.
I don't have a problem with what other nationalities have elected to practice.
Should I disagree with the regulations in force in a particular country, I have the freedom to choose not to visit.
When fishing in countries who's attitudes are compatible with my own, I am happy to abide by their rules and any visitors that I've met here, seem equally happy to reciprocate.
The example you cite, in relation to the blanket policy currently adopted in Germany, suggests that their legislation is evidently flawed.
The French on the other hand, over the last couple of decades, have recognised the value of fish preservation and environmental management. To the extent that angling is a financialy viable and lucrative industry and other countries appear to be following suit.
Environmental monitoring groups have their place in the world, but as in your example. Their blinkered ethical meddling can have adverse environmental consequences rather than positive.
Everyone is right .... just some are more right than others!
 
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