How to cook Buffalo Carp
 

I just moved to a small town in Northern illinois. about 45 miles from my original city i grew up in, we have a small river here ive been hitting with the pole and catching a on of Buffalo carp. Many people here keep them. I was always told they are garbage fish, but these people eat them does anyone have a idea on how to cook them?

If you can get a good spot to clean them out, like a farmers cow tank, with clean running water a few weeks in the tank, split them down the middle, brine them for a good 24 hours, then smoke them. I've never done it ,but i've had it, it was real good.

Cook them bones and all in a pressure canner.

In all honesty I have seen some really disgusting things eaten in my life travels and almost anything is can be made edible. Soy sauce, liquid smoke, pepper, brown sugar, 7up, and touch of garlic brined for at least 24hrs and then smoked heavily.

In the end you will be able to eat it but is it really worth all this..........spend the time and effort driving somewhere else to fish if you want to eat it.

You put the carp, skinned and gutted on a piece of oak board, season with salt, pepper and lemon, roast over an open fire for about 15 minutes, throw the carp away and eat the board.

Should I wash the board first?

I pickle suckers and carp. When they are "cooked" in the pickling salt and vinegar for a week the bones get dissolved. If you like pickled northern you will like these. I made a big batch this past spring and served them at the step-daughters grad party and everybody was ranting about the nice and firm "northern" I had. I told everybody after they were gone and they didn't believe that they were suckers and carp. If you want the recipe let me know.