One of the largest representatives of the carp family is grass carp. Its homeland is East Asian freshwater rivers and lakes. It was from there that this species migrated to the fast waters of the Don, Amur and Volga. His favorite habitats are overgrown backwaters of these rivers. Since the middle of the last century, herbivorous carp have been deliberately planted in many reservoirs in central Russia - it painfully cleans ponds from thickets. Thanks to incredible gluttony, such a fish grows rapidly and is gaining mass. This is what makes it a valuable target.
What is attractive fish
Cupid has an elongated muscular body of cylindrical shape, covered with dense rounded scales. The largest individuals grown in nurseries can have a mass of up to 40 kg with a length of 1 m 20 cm.
Fatty, tasty and very nutritious meat of this freshwater representative of cyprinids has high nutritional value. It is widely used in cooking. Many chefs who know how to cook grass carp make a variety of dishes from it. Fish is boiled, fried, baked, salted and smoked. It is cooked in a slow cooker and steamed. Cooked fillet is added to various warm salads and used as a filling for pies. Of particular interest to lovers is the caviar and liver of this species of cyprinids.
Cons of cyprinids
All representatives of the cyprinid family are bound by one thing: they are highly susceptible to infection by parasites. For humans, this phenomenon is not dangerous, but only on condition that during cooking the fish is subjected to thorough heat treatment. Baked white cupid, well roasted under a lid or steamed, will not do any harm and will not cause infection.
People suffering from symptoms of gastrointestinal tract diseases and liver diseases should limit the intake of river fish, including representatives of this species. Frequent consumption of fatty meat can trigger an exacerbation of ailments.
Fried carp is a very high-calorie product, so people who follow any unloading or therapeutic diets should use it with caution.
Are there many bones in fish?
Like all cyprinids, this fish is quite bony. According to any recipe, cupid was not cooked, small elements of the skeleton will still come across in its meat. However, sharing experience, many lovers of this fish argue that the larger the individual, the easier it is to get rid of the bones. Therefore, choosing a suitable fish, you should pay attention not only to its freshness and appearance, but also to size.
Nutritional properties and energy composition
The meat, liver and caviar of this fish are rich in useful elements necessary for the normal functioning of the human body. It contains a sufficiently large amount of calcium, magnesium, sodium and phosphorus, a large number of vitamins A, C, E, and almost all the vitamins of group B. Caloric content - about 135 kcal per 100 grams of product.
Regular consumption of grass carp is recommended for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, fish, included in the weekly menu, has a beneficial effect on metabolic processes in the body, stimulates the digestive system and improves the condition of the skin. It is believed that the beneficial substances that make up this meat successfully help overcome the syndromes of chronic fatigue and drowsiness.
Cupid: cooking recipes
All individuals of this species of cyprinids have an unrivaled taste, so their meat, liver and caviar are of great interest to culinary specialists. This variety of inhabitants of freshwater reservoirs is especially famous among residents of Asia, however, and in Russia it is prepared no worse.
Tender and juicy fillet is a great option for cooking fish cakes and meatballs. Some housewives stuff it with vegetables and serve as a gourmet main course on the festive table. Many people think that it is possible to make an excellent ear from cupid. Someone just fries it in oil or stews it in a slow cooker. However, baked grass carp is considered a classic cooking option.
Separately, it is worth mentioning the liver and caviar of this fish. These products are also widely used in cooking: they are salted, fried, smoked and dried, cooked in a slow cooker and made from various pastes. The result is culinary delights, characterized by their amazing taste, aroma and a huge amount of useful substances.
Culinary Secrets
Like any other fresh fish, the herbivore carp is gutted and washed thoroughly. To remove the bitterness and the specific smell of mud, gills must be removed. Do not forget that, for the preparation of delicious dishes according to different recipes, grass carp choose large. Small individuals are better suited for stewing with vegetables or cooking fish soup.
In foil
To clear the large fish of scales, to take out entrails and gills. In the preparation according to this recipe, from the grass carp, you need to remove the spine and ribs so that the skin on the back remains intact. The resulting fillet is salted and pepper. Rub with spices: lemon juice, collecting your favorite seasonings or an already prepared mixture of spices for fish purchased in the store. Many add finely chopped greens and garlic.
Prepared fish is wrapped in foil and sent to a preheated oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes.
Roasting toppings
Very often, when baking cupid in the oven, various vegetables and cereals are used as fillings. Today you can find many recipes for cooking such dishes with buckwheat, rice and beans. As a vegetable filling, many culinary specialists use cabbage stewed with onions, potatoes, tomatoes and even eggplant.
Carp meat is a versatile product that combines with almost any ingredient. Therefore, lovers of culinary experiments, rejoice! Grass carp - fish, recipes for which may differ in originality of ideas.
On coals
If a large or medium-sized individual is pre-cleaned and pickled, then you can cook the amazing taste of kebabs. However, it is worth considering that it is better to cut a large fish into small pieces, and a smaller one can be cooked whole on the grill.
Cutlets, meatballs, pie fillings
Dishes prepared from minced cupid are very delicious, dietary and delicate delicacies. And, in fact, there is nothing easier than to twist the fish fillet in a meat grinder, mix it with the necessary ingredients and form tasty meatballs, meatballs or pancakes that children will definitely like. The main thing here is to choose fresh and high-quality fish.
An excellent side dish for such dishes will be vegetables, pasta and rice. To improve the taste characteristics, a sauce is made that diversifies and emphasizes the taste of the prepared product. Sauces made on the basis of sour cream, mayonnaise and tomato paste with lemon are suitable for any fish dishes.
Gefilte fish
The meaty carcass of some large individuals can be cooked as a separate dish, or as a stuffed product. The main ingredients here can be anything: cereals, vegetables, meat of other fish, lard, mushrooms, etc. There are many recipes for such dishes. Each hostess is looking for her own composition.
Here is one of the options for cooking stuffed white cupid in foil in the oven, which many will certainly enjoy. In this recipe it is supposed to use fish broth, so for its preparation you will need:
- Onions medium size - 1 pc.
- Butter - 15-20 g.
- Black pepper (peas) - 6 pcs.
- Bay leaf.
- Table white wine - 1/3 cup.
The main ingredients:
- Amur white fish (other large carps are also suitable) - 1.5 kg.
- Onions of medium size - 4 pcs.
- White bread - 3 slices (we will use only crusts).
- Milk - 1 cup.
- Butter - 150 g.
- Chicken Egg - 2 pcs.
- Garlic - 1 clove.
- Dried apricots - 4-5 pcs.
- Spices to taste.
This recipe for grass carp in the oven does not require any special culinary skills, so every housewife can cook such a dish.
- Prepare the carp. Fish should be cleaned of scales, entrails and gills. To remove the intestines, it is not necessary to rip the abdomen; it is enough to make a small (about 1 cm) incision in the region of the caudal fin. Cut off the head and, acting with your hands and scissors, carefully remove the skin so as not to damage it. To make the skin easier to remove, you need to beat off the prepared carp with a rolling pin on each side. This will slightly weaken the tissue that binds meat and skin, which will allow to bake fish in the oven in a perfect form. To turn out the received stocking and remove the remains of meat.
- Cooking the broth. Fry the bones freed from meat in a saucepan on a creamy-vegetable mixture of oils. Add a little water, put onions and cooked spices and leave to simmer for 30-40 minutes.
- Cooking minced meat. Soak bread crusts in milk, boil dried apricots with boiling water. Skip the fish fillet through a mincer with a fine grill. Add the pre-fried and already chilled onions, bread crusts soaked in milk, dried apricots and butter cut into pieces into the resulting minced meat. Mix everything and pass through the meat grinder again. Then add the egg yolk, salt and pepper. It is good to beat off the minced meat (this will make the filling of the grass carp baked in the oven more dense).
Beat the remaining protein until stable peaks and gently mix into the cooked minced meat.
- We start the fish. Grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil. Cut the onion in half rings and put on a baking sheet. Put the stuffed stocking and head, 2/3 of the prepared bone broth through a sieve, pour into a baking sheet. Lubricate a piece of foil corresponding to the size of the baking sheet with vegetable oil and cover the frying sheet tightly. This is done so that the foil does not stick to the white cupid in the oven. Bake in a preheated oven to 180 ° C for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake the dish for about 20 minutes until a golden crust appears. Then the fish is taken out of the oven and allowed to cool.
- Sauce. The remaining fish broth is filtered through a sieve, wine is added and half evaporated. Add oil and spices. Delicious sauce is ready.
Finally
Cupid fish is a universal culinary product from which you can cook a variety of dishes. Its tender and juicy meat has qualities that are beneficial to the body. Many nutritionists recommend regularly including it in the diet. The main thing is to conduct the correct heat treatment.
Try to cook this fish at home, and your loved ones will appreciate such an amazing dish!