Breaded fried carp for Christmas Eve

Tip: tap a step to mark it as done.

1. Clean the fillets

   Rinse the carp fillets under cold water and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Check the skin for any remaining scales, and remove any traces of the bitter black membrane from the belly area.

2. Score through the small bones

   Carp has many small bones in its flesh. Using a sharp knife, score the flesh crosswise at intervals of about 3 mm, cutting down to the skin without cutting through it. This cuts through the small bones so they soften during frying. Then cut the fillets into 4 portions.

3. Season with salt

   Salt the portions on both sides, drizzle with the juice of half the lemon, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Set up the breading

   Place the all-purpose flour, eggs beaten with the milk, and breadcrumbs in three separate shallow bowls. Remove the portions from the refrigerator and pat dry again so the coating adheres well.

5. Bread the carp

   Coat each portion in flour and shake off the excess, then dip it in the eggs and finally coat it in breadcrumbs, pressing them on gently with your palm. Arrange the breaded portions side by side rather than stacking them so the coating does not stick together.

6. Fry

   Heat the oil in a large skillet to 170 °C (340 °F); it should be at least 1.5 cm deep. Fry the carp in batches for 4–5 minutes per side, until the coating is golden brown and the flesh is opaque all the way to the skin. Thicker portions need more time, and if the coating browns too quickly, the oil is too hot.

7. Serve

   Drain the fried portions on paper towels and serve warm with the remaining lemon cut into wedges.

Tip: Between batches, use a slotted spoon to remove loose breadcrumbs from the oil. Burned crumbs would stick to the next batch and give it a bitter taste.

This recipe was translated from the Slovak original: Vyprážaný kapor v trojobale na Štedrú večeru