Carp, or good tradition
Since the times of the Polish People’s Republic, it has been served as one of the 12th or 13th Christmas Eve dishesrecent years carp became a symbol of the fight for farm animal welfare. Thanks to the efforts of ecologists and animal rights defenders live carps they disappeared from shops and bazaars. A more humane approach to animals has also improved their taste. Just 30 years ago, carp smelled of mud. Today it is very tasty and healthy meat.
The best carp for Christmas Eve
The queen of Polish pre-war cuisine wrote about how to choose the best fish Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa. “Freshness of the fish can be recognized by the redness of the gills, the shine and protrusion of the eye, and the firmness of the skin. The smell itself is not a sufficient guarantee of the goodness and freshness of the fish,” we read in the repeatedly reissued book “365 dinners for 5 zlotys”.
The above rules also apply to carp. And the producers add one more thing to it: ideal carp weight should be between 1.5 and 2 kg. The fish reaches it at the age of three. Then it is the tastiest, plump, but not too fatty.
Where to buy carp: directly from the farm
As you know the cheapestand in the case of fish the freshestcan be purchased directly from the manufacturer. Many breeding farms runs before Christmas sale carps and others freshwater fish from their ponds also to individual customers. And so in the Zawólcze Fisheries Farm We will pay for organic carp fillet PLN 54(tray 400-500 g). Organic carp bell it costs PLN 44 (tray 450-550 g). Organic carp sheet it costs PLN 47 (tray 500-600 g), and for decoction set (head) we will pay PLN 19 per 1 kg. You can also buy on certain days smoked carp PLN 65 each (450-550 g).
The Fishing Farm in Ruszów also offers, in addition to carp (PLN 30/kg). grass carp (PLN 30/kg), bighead carp (PLN 24/kg), pike (PLN 50/kg) i sum (PLN 55/kg). So there is plenty to choose from. For additional fee 5 PLNfarm workers can gut the fish and cut off its head.
Where to buy carp: discount stores or hypermarkets
Not everyone has time to go to Poland to search carp for the Christmas Eve table then you can buy fish in a store: a discount store or a hypermarket. It dominates among discount stores Ladybirdwhich offers in the promotional leaflet voucher 100 percent value purchased fresh sheet of Marinero carp with skin. But he sets very specific conditions. Offer valid only with discount cardonly for purchases of up to 3 kg of fish and only between December 21-24 or while stocks last. The voucher must be used between December 28-31.
Lidl on sale until December 18 Polish carp slice with skin for PLN 2.99/100 g. Before the discount carp cost 5.49/100 g. W Aldia from today flap with skin and ring costs 3.99/100 g. However Kaufland on December 12-18 is proposed carp fillet 4.99/100 g each, a carp of carp PLN 3.40/100 g.
Hypermarkets They also tempt you with promotions on Christmas fish. And so in Carrefour on December 16-24 whole carp purchased with the application, payback penalty or senior card costs PLN 1.49/100 g. Before the discount, this price was PLN 2.29/100 g. Gutted carp with the application and the payback card, the cost is PLN 2.69/100 g, and with the senior card – PLN 2.79/100 g. Before the discount, you had to pay PLN 2.89/100 g.
Leclerc sells carp flap with skin PLN 54.99 per kg. For carcass of carp you have to pay PLN 45.99 per kg. Whereas gutted carp with head can be purchased in this chain for PLN 34.99 per kg. Another French retail chain, Auchan, offers boneless carp fillet at a price of 56.90 per kg. Carp steak it costs PLN 44.90 per kg, a flap with skin costs PLN 46.90 per kg.
How and with what to serve carp?
Most often, carp is served in a form fish in jelly or fried in flour breading. Spice producers decided to change Poles’ preferences and they appeared in stores ready-made spice mixtures especially dedicated to carp. And so do brand manufacturers Gifts of Nature they offer carp seasoning for PLN 10.39 per 40 g package. Kamis prepared a special mixture at the price of PLN 4.11 per 30 g. Primacy he suggested seasoning for fish at a price of approximately PLN 1 per 20 g. However Podlasie Seasoning for carp costs approx. 3.31 per 40 g.
Carp is a fish that you either love or eat because it is what it is Christmas Eve tradition. However, regardless of your culinary preferences, the fact is that fish is a healthier alternative to red meat. And it’s just a pity that we reach for them so rarely.
