Whole roasted carp with smoked paprika, braised leeks, and golden potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 piece whole carp, gutted and scaled, very fresh
• 800 g waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or fingerling)
• 3 pieces medium leeks
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 300 ml ready-to-use chicken broth
• 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 bunch fresh scallions
• 1 piece unwaxed lemon
• 3 cloves pink garlic cloves
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp mild olive oil
• to taste fine salt
• to taste black peppercorns
• 1 piece fresh mild red chili

Method

1. Remove the carp from the refrigerator and place it on a baking sheet. Pat it thoroughly dry inside and out: the skin must be completely dry to the touch. Season generously inside and out with salt, then let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.
2. Preheat the oven to 410 °F (210 °C) in convection mode. Place a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan in the oven during the 15-minute preheat so it gets thoroughly hot.
3. Wash the leeks by halving them lengthwise to remove any grit, then cut them into 1 1/4-inch (3 cm) segments. Slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch (1 cm) rounds. Pat them dry in a clean kitchen towel to remove surface moisture.
4. Mix the olive oil with the smoked paprika, finely grated garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, and a pinch of salt until you have a smooth, brick-red paste.
5. Rub the carp with a portion of this spiced oil, working it into the shallow slashes cut into the sides and inside the cavity. Stuff a few scallion greens and lemon slices into the cavity.
6. Carefully remove the hot roasting pan from the oven at 410 °F (210 °C). Add the potatoes and leeks along with the remaining spiced oil, then toss quickly: you should hear a distinct sizzle. Spread everything into an even layer.
7. Roast the vegetables alone at 410 °F (210 °C) for 12 minutes, until the edges of the potatoes turn translucent and the leeks begin to soften without scorching.
8. Set the carp on top of the bed of vegetables. Pour the warm broth, Shaoxing wine, and light soy sauce around the sides into the bottom of the pan, making sure not to wet the skin of the fish.
9. Roast in the oven at 410 °F (210 °C) for 15 minutes, until the skin tightens, the slashes visibly open up, and the pan juices bubble vigorously around the edges.
10. Dot the butter into the simmering pan juices around the fish. Continue roasting at 410 °F (210 °C) for 15 to 18 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 136 °F (58 °C) at the thickest part (or the flesh turns opaque and flakes cleanly from the backbone) and the potatoes are knife-tender.
11. Remove the pan from the oven and let it rest for 8 minutes at room temperature, loosely covered with a sheet of parchment paper without tucking the edges, allowing carryover cooking to bring the core temperature to 144 °F (62 °C).
12. If needed, transfer the pan juices to a small saucepan and reduce over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes at a steady simmer until syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Off the heat, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
13. Arrange the whole carp on a serving platter surrounded by the tender, golden vegetables. Garnish with sliced scallions and red chili, carve the fillets away from the backbone, and immediately spoon the hot reduced pan juices over the top.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

483.4 kcal

Protein

11.52 g

Carbohydrate

46.7 g

Fat

29.51 g

Fibre

7.6 g

Calcium

92.35 mg

Iron

3.69 mg

Magnesium

34.12 mg