http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/02/asian-carp-discussion-moves-to-washington.html
All that talk about eating Asian carp to slow its portended incursion into the Great Lakes got Carl Galvan thinking. Galvan, is the energetic, peripatetic chef-turned-fishmonger who handles sustainable and environmental fishery issues for Supreme Lobster. His Twitter feed is a virtual online fish auction attended daily by many of the best (and social media savviest) chefs in town.
Millions of pounds of Asian carp are already shipped off from Illinois to Europe and Asia, and the critters are fairly popular at ethnic markets around town. But Galvan wondered what would happen if some of his high profile clients got their hands on them and worked their magic. Could they make this an appetizing fish to larger market of eaters and put a dent in their numbers?
A few weeks ago he ordered up 100 lbs of the fearsome monsters from Schafer Fisheries the midwest’s largest supplier of local fish and the one that probably handles more Asian carp than any other. Off they went to about a ten restaurants. Vie, Sushisamba Rio, Browntrout, Cibo Matto, and others.
Galvan didn’t tell everyone what he was bringing, and these toothless, filter feeding leviathans seemed to unnerve a few chefs “So far, all I can say is that they are disgusting,” emailed Paul Kahan upon receipt of his at The Publican.
“It kind of looked like a character from Return of Jedi,” said David Carrier from Kith & Kin.
Worse than its appearance is a damn near impenetrable bone structure which given how daunting it was to these pros may be the fish’s best defense against the legions of home cooks who might put a dent intheir numbers.
“The pinbones are very strange on the fish because they run down the center, the side by the belly and they go all the way through the tail,” said Perrennial’s Ryan Poli. “When you try to take htem out with tweezers they tear the flesh.”
What’s more they have a thick bloodline that runs down the length of the filet, whcih needs to be cut away.”
But how do they taste. Poli was worried abotu that too “I though this is giant goldfish,” “This is gonna taste like a catfish.” He sauteed some in a pan and pached another piece sou vide style, and while it wasn’t as bad as the thought
Galvan didn’t tell many of htem what he was bringing
As Phillip Foss and Chris Pandel demonstrate, the Asian carps best definese gaianst humans might be its bone structure
Gavan, ins’t giving up, he’s heard tell of a special carp boning machine and also heard abotu a specific bong technique that makes it a lot easier.
Can ‘t serve it as a filet
Cheers to both of these good sports for letting me film this battle. It wasn’t pretty.