Waldviertler Karpfen gebacken

 
Disclosure Date
Since the Middle Ages carps have been farmed in ponds of the Waldviertel (Forest Quarter) and have been traditional dishes on Lenten days in Austria. 
 

Photo: Kulinari...

Title
Waldviertler Karpfen gebacken
(Fried carp Forest Quarter Style)
 
 
 
 
Abstract or claim
Carps are traditional dishes on Lenten days like Christmas Eve, New Years Eve and Ash Wednesday. Fried carps are classic dishes of the Viennese cuisine.
Carps from the region Waldviertel enjoy a particularly good reputation in Austria. The carps’ firm and tender flesh is poor in fat. The texture and the excellent taste result from extensive fish farming in harmony with nature in unpolluted natural and semi-natural ponds of the Waldviertel.
 
Name of product, Product class
Carp, fish
 
Name of region
Austria
 
Field of search
Food and Dishes
 
Descriptors
- History:
Since the Middle Ages carp has been a traditional dish for Christmas Eve in Central and Eastern Europe. The reason for this tradition lies in Christianity. Advent season is Lenten time and should be celebrated in a particular way on its heyday, Christmas Eve. As the consumption of meat is not allowed during Lenten, imaginative monks turned to animals living in water whose flesh was not regarded as meat (from warm-blooded animals).
 
Carps played an important role as Lenten food also in outdoor eating.
Until the mid-18^th  century the public serving of meat dishes on Lenten days was only permitted to military officers, non-Catholics and Catholics exempted from Lenten. Moreover, this was not allowed in the general rooms but only in the innkeeper’s private rooms and, later on, in a special room or at least on a separate table.
 
The consumption of carps on Christ’s birthday has also roots in theology: In the past there was the misbelief that carps are asexual and emanate directly from the bottom of waters. Thus carps were regarded as eatable metaphor for virgin birth.
 
Moreover, it was thought that the carp’s cranium contained the instrument of Christ’s torture and that the bones could be assembled to a birdlike figure resembling the Holy Spirit which would protect against witches. A further superstition was that a moonlike little stone above the carp’s eye would exist which would bring luck to its finder.
 
Another old custom is that carrying a scale of a carp leads to financial godsend in the new year. It can be assumed that this custom is related to the coin-like shape of carp scales.
 
- Region:
Austria
 
- Fried carp Forest Quarter Style:
 
Recipe:
(from “The 100 classic dishes of Austria”)
 
Ingredients for 4 servings:
800 g (1 ¾ lb.) fillet of carp
2 eggs
salt
pinch of plain flour
breadcrumbs for coating
oil for frying
lemon wedges and parsley for garnishing
 
Method of preparation
Make incisions in the skin at short intervals, divide the fillet into pieces of approx. 6 cm (2 ½“). Salt liberally, also in the incisions, coat with flour, the beaten eggs and breadcrumbs.
Slowly deep-fry in hot oil on both sides until golden brown (approx. 13 minutes).
Lift out of the fat, dab with kitchen paper. Garnish and serve.
Best served with lamb´s lettuce and potatoes.
 
It can be recommended to use the high-quality potatoes coming from Austrian Regions of Delight
(Waldviertel Erdäpfel, Lungauer Eachtling, Oberinntaler Erdäpfel, Osttiroler Kartoffel, Sauwald Erdäpfel, Weinviertler Erdäpfel). 
 
Key Words
Food and dishes, Traditional Knowledge, Austria, Vienna, region, fish, carp, Waldviertel carp, fried carp Forest Quarter Style 
 
Bibliography / References
- Der Weihnachtskarpfen hilft beim Fasten
  http://www.lebensmittelnet.at/article/articleview/41256/1/12522
- MAIER-BRUCK F. Die Süßwasserfische. Karpfen. In: Klassische Österreichische Küche.
  Seehamer Verlag GmbH, Weyarn, 2993. p. 182f.
- MAIER-BRUCK F. Vom Essen auf dem Lande. Das große Buch der österreichischen Bauernküche
  und Hausmannskost. Verlag Kremayr & Scheriau, Wien, 2003. p. 151; p. 370f.
- SIEVERS, G.W. (2007): Der Waldviertler Karpfen, Der Weihnachtskarpfen. In: Genussland Österreich
- The 100 classic dishes of Austria. Edited by. E. Plachutta and Ch. Wagner. Perlen Reihe Kuratorium
  zur Erhaltung des kulinarischen Erbes Österreichs (Committee for the Preservation of the Culinary
  Heritage of Austria) ISBN 3-552-06034-0 , p. 75.
- Waldviertler Karpfen
  http://www.genuss-region.at
– Was Küche und Keller zu bieten haben, Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz, 198f.
- Weihnachtskarpfen
  http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtskarpfen
- 120 Tonnen Karpfen aus dem Waldviertel für Weihnachten
  http://www.gourmetpresse.at/presseaussendung.php?ch=gourmet&schluessel=OTS_20071211_OTS0064
 
All internet references last accessed on 24 February 2009.
 
Language Code
German
 
Authors: Mag. Eva Sommer, Dr. Erhard Höbaus
 

03.03.2010, Lebensministerium III/4