Baked Carp is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of carp stuffed with forcemeat that's breaded, drizzled with butter and braised in flavoured stock and which is served with a sauce made from the stock. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Baked Carp.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
242. INGREDIENTS—1 carp, forcemeat, bread crumbs, 1 oz. butter, 1/2 pint of stock No. 105, 1/2 pint of port wine, 6 anchovies, 2 onions sliced, 1 bay-leaf, a faggot of sweet herbs, flour to thicken, the juice of 1 lemon; cayenne and salt to taste; 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered sugar.
Mode.—Stuff the carp with a delicate forcemeat, after thoroughly cleansing it, and sew it up to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Rub it over with an egg, and sprinkle it with bread crumbs, lay it in a deep earthen dish, and drop the butter, oiled, over the bread crumbs. Add the stock, onions, bay-leaf, herbs, wine, and anchovies, and bake for 1 hour. Put 1 oz. of butter into a stewpan, melt it, and dredge in sufficient flour to dry it up; put in the strained liquor from the carp, stir frequently, and when it has boiled, add the lemon-juice and seasoning. Serve the carp on a dish garnished with parsley and cut lemon, and the sauce in a boat.
Time.—1-1/4 hour. Average cost. Seldom bought.
Seasonable from March to October.
Sufficient for 1 or 2 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 carp
1 batch Mrs Beeton's fish forcemeat
1 egg, beaten
100g breadcrumbs
30g butter, melted and cooled
300ml medium stock
300ml port wine
12 anchovy fillets
2 onions, sliced
1 bayleaf
1 bunch of sweet herbs
3 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
juice of 1 lemon
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
Method:
Wash, de-scale and clean the fish thoroughly then stuff the body cavity with the forcemeat before sewing the fish closed. Rub the fish all over with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Lay the fish in a deep earthenware dish then drizzle over the butter. Pour the stock around the fish and add the onions, bayleaf, herbs port wine and anchovies. Transfer to an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for 60 minutes.
Melt the 3 tbsp butter in a small pan, scatter the flour over the top and stir in to form a smooth roux. Strain the stock from the fish and whisk into the roux until smooth. Bring gradually to a boil, stirring constantly, then take off the heat and add the lemon juice before seasoning to taste.
Transfer the carp to a serving dish and garnish with parsley and lemon slices. Accompany with the sauce in a sauce boat.
