Carp – the stewpond fish

Carp – the stewpond fish

Carp became popular in the middle ages because they could be "farmed'. It required very little effort to keep carp in small ponds where they would be handy for the table.

Galentyn

One of the reasons the medieval cook liked carp was because it produced gelatine.

Most fish with a thick mucous coating (Pike, Carp, Tench, Eel, Lamprey and Perch) can be boiled and mixed with spices to produce a jelly like substance called Galentine / Galentyne.

Galentyne was used as a preservative for all kinds of fish, meat and fowl.

Fishponds

Many large houses had fishponds where freshwater fish like carp, pike, perch and tench would be kept in readiness for the kitchens.

Because fish was a significant part of the medieval diet (it was served on days when meat was forbidden) medieval cooks needed to ensure a constant supply.

Carp roe blended with almond milk curds was also used to create a kind of "mock cheese' that could be eaten on days when meat (and meat derivatives such as cheese, fat and milk) was banned by the church.

It is interesting to note that, due to the inventiveness of the medieval cooks, many "fish day' recipes were just as rich as those served on "meat' days. Abstinence was not always unpleasant!

Poached Carp

Most medieval cooks would have used a fairly "standard recipe' for poaching almost any kind of freshwater fish.

This would involve boiling the fish in water with wine, herbs and vinegar.

To thicken the "broth' the medieval cook would have added white breadcrumbs and then strained the liquid to remove any lumps before serving.

You can serve carp, hot or cold, without a sauce, but it is easy to add white bread crumb thickening to the wine and vinegar liquor to make a delicious accompanyment.

Our "stock' 14th century recipe was originally for pike, but it works perfectly well for carp, tench and perch. Enjoy!

"Take Cannell. A quarte of wyne and a litull vinegre, And step there-yn tendur brede; and thraw it thorgh a streynour, And lete boyle with poudre of peper!"

From "Two Fifteenth Century Cookbooks" edited by Thomas Austin.

Ingredients:

We cooked a 3lb Carp (the size is not too important. For larger fish simply follow the instructions but add a little more wine and vinegar)

Homemade Bouquet Garni

½ pint of cheapest white wine

1 glass of white wine vinegar

Seasoning to taste

Making a bouquet garni:

Wrap a few slices of fresh root ginger, a dozen black peppercorns, some chopped onion, fresh thyme and rosemary, bay leaves and a couple of cinnamon sticks in muslin and tie the bundle up tightly with a piece of kitchen string.

The bundle can then be dangled in the cooking pot from its string until the flavours have been absorbed by the fish. It can then be removed from the pot quickly and easily.

Method:

• Clean your carp. Make sure you wash the fish thoroughly, both inside and out, under running cold water.

• The fish should then be de-scaled with a blunt knife. Draw the edge of the knife sharply against the lay of the scales to dislodge them.

• Wrap the carp in a muslin cloth. This will help to keep the fish in one piece when you remove it from the fish kettle.

• Lay the carp, wrapped in muslin, in a fish kettle or large stew pot and barely cover with water. Add a half pint (more or less) of cheap white wine and a small glass of white wine vinegar.

• Boil the carp for around thirty minutes (or until cooked).

• Remove carefully from the pot and lay on a salver or large plate.

• If you wish to serve the fish cold then leave to cool and decorate it as you might dress a salmon.

• You might wish to serve your carp (hot or cold) with lemon slices to conceal any slightly muddy taste. It isn't authentic but it tastes a lot nicer.