Carp baked Rügen style

Rügen is a large island off the coast of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania.  Most famous are the limestone cliffs of Cap Arkona.

One method to prepare that freshwater fish comes from this island. I have never cooked carp before. I remember a visit where carp and pike were cooked in a pot together. Eating was not a pleasure, because these fishes are riddled with bones. 

If you need reading glasses for fine print, I recommend to put them on. The fine tuning fork like fish bones are nearly see through and need to be pulled out, before you eat the fish. Otherwise you have to pull them out of your mouth which is not a nice thing to do. The large bones are no problem to find and can he pulled out before serving the cooked fish.

I bought a baby carp today. Carp is on promo this week for a very reasonable price at one of the supermarket chaines. But when I stepped up to the counter I only 2 two carps on display. I asked for carp pieces, but they were not available. One carp had about 2,3 kg, the other was tiny in comparison. I left with the small one.

Recipe:

615 g of whole carp, salt and pepper, horseradish with cream, 

3 carrots, 10 cm leek, 200 g celeriac, 2 spring onions, parsley, 3 tbsp olive oil 

Heat up the oven 170C fan

Wash the carp and pat it dry. Season it inside and outside with salt and pepper. Spoon dome horseradish cream inside and the rest on top of the carp. Stick in the oven and bake for 25 min.

Cut some of the veggies in juliennes and stick them in the fish. Use baking paper and spread olive oil in the middle. Put veggies on and place the carp on top.

When I serve the carp, I use s knife and a palette and cut along the line in the side of the fish and pull the meat down and up with the palette. I turn it and get the large fish bones out. Then turn and proceed on the other side.