The grass carp is quite the majestic creature, with its long body free of barbs, you can be sure that there’ll be plenty of meat for your meal. This fish has been known for its rich and sumptuous taste, absorbing plenty of flavors and spices.
This fish is one of the saltiest that you can taste, and that is why it is a staple of a lot of Japanese diets. We would recommend picking one up fresh from the market, although it might not always be easy to get a hold of in the west.
Try your local Asian market and see if they have canned grass carp.
This fish is wonderful to steam and comes with plenty of health benefits. You can get a nice fat dose of omega 3 from grass carp, which is great for the brain and joint health.
If you are suffering from anxiety or depression, this is also a great fish to get, mainly because of such wonderful properties.
So where can you pick up a grass carp? How much will it cost to buy one? What foods can you cook this fish with? Are there specific methods of cooking this fish to draw out the wonderful flavors? How quickly will it take to prepare this wonderful Japanese fish?
Well, if you are interested in everything related to the grass carp, then keep reading. We’ve got everything that you need for a delicious carp recipe, so you won’t have to worry about getting your dose of omega 3.
We’ll tell you which ingredients to get, along with the health benefits of eating grass carp.
Why Grass Carp?
Well, one reason you’ll be wanting to devour some grass carp is the fact that it is a very meaty fish. The texture is soft and it will melt in your mouth. This also makes it very easy to steam, with plenty of Japanese chefs choosing to prepare the fish in this way.
This is also very healthy, avoiding the use of certain fatty oils.
If you are thinking of buying a whole grass carp from your fishmonger at the local Asian market, then we would suggest that you get a smaller one. The smaller the fish, the fewer bones that they’ll have to remove before cooking.
We would suggest that if you are steaming your fish that you get a nice fatty middle bit. This will give you more juice and will be easier to cook. We would suggest that you pick up a carp that weighs around 5 pounds.
Now that we’ve given you some reasons that you might want to tuck into your favorite fishy dish, now we can move onto the recipe. Remember to make sure that you collect all the ingredients before embarking on cooking.
There’s nothing worse than getting halfway through a recipe before realizing that you have forgotten a very important seasoning.
Steamed Grass Carp Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce – this is for flavoring your fish.
- 2 tablespoons of rice wine – this is also for the flavoring.
- 1.5 teaspoons of sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon of white rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of peeled and shredded ginger
- 0.5 teaspoons of salt
- One pinch of salt
- Center cut from a grass carp – this should be roughly 30-pounds
- 2 tablespoons of scallion oil
- 0.5 cups of thinly sliced scallion oil
- 1.5 tablespoons of sliced coriander leaves
Once you have all these ingredients, then you can begin the prep. Where possible, try and source your food from fresh and organic sources, such as your market.
With fresh ingredients, you’ll have to be sure that you make your food within 24 hours of purchase, otherwise, the flavor will not be that rich.
Recipe
Firstly, we’re going to give you tips on making the marinade. All you have to do is mix everything except the fish into a bowl. Stir well until the mixture is nice and thick.
Make sure that all the scales from your fish have been removed and the fish itself has been thoroughly washed. Make sure that the membrane from the fish has also been removed.
This will not cook in your skillet or frying pan, so you’ll have to make sure that all you have is pure fish as an ingredient.
Once the fish has been completely cleaned, place it in a steam proof bowl. Take the marinade and coat it evenly over your fish. This will result in your fish being cooked thoroughly when it is placed in the steamer.
Take a cake rack and place your fish in a bowl on top of that. Cover your fish and steam it for around 8 to 9 minutes. An easy way to make sure that your fish is cooked is by sliding a fork or a chopstick into it.
If it comes out clean the other side, then this means it has been properly cooked.
Now turn off the heat of your oven. Take the scallion oil and sprinkle it over the fish, along with the whole scallions and the coriander. Once the fish is cool, take it out of the cooking dish and serve.
We would recommend serving this dish with some plain white rice and vegetables.
Our Final Say
Now that you’ve been given a great introduction to grass carp, we hope that you have everything you need to prepare some for you and your family. Make sure that you have all of your ingredients before embarking upon your recipe.
Not only does this carp come with plenty of nutrients, but if you steam it you are also saving yourself plenty of calories. If you serve it with vegetables, then you’ll definitely be increasing the vitamin count.
