Czech Christmas Carp

The traditional Czech festive dinner on Christmas Eve is FRIED CARP with potato salad. A few days before Christmas, on 23rd at the latest, people buy a fresh carp – either live (then they have it usually in the bath in the bathroom for a day or two), or when they buy it, they ask the fisherman to kill it. There are funny stories about “brave” husbands, who were supposed to kill the carp at home, but they couldn’t and then the fragile wife had to do it. Or the carp was taken back to the river or pond and the family had only potato salad for dinner
After you have killed the carp, removed the skin (don’t forget to put aside a few scales to put them later under the plate of the Christmas Eve Dinner and then into your purse - it will bring you good luck in the financial sphere for the next year ) and carve it. Then you salt each piece and coat it in fine flour, whipped eggs and breadcrumbs. After that you fry it till it is soft.
When all the portions of carp are coated, heat some oil in the frying pan and start frying the carp. It is well-done, when it is soft and beautifully gold.
Fried carp is usually served with potato salad. Each family has their own recipe for the potato salad and their salad is always the best. Besides potatoes (boiled in skin) you put chopped cooked carrots and celeriac, pickles and onion. You can add hard-boiled eggs and salami. You can use oil, mayonnaise or yoghurt. Don’t forget to flavour it with pepper and mustard. Enjoy your meal now – but don’t forget that carp has tiny bones!!!¨