Baked carp

Considered by many to be a pest, carp is actually a very popular fish in Iraq. In riverside restaurants in Baghdad, you will find the local specialty, mazguf – whole carp butterflied and crusted with salt, set upright on sticks and cooked against an open fire. Our cooks Huda and Amera get their fish from the Murray River which flows through Cobram.

Baked carp

• makes

  2

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 whole carp, prepared for baking
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground dried limes
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Instructions

Place the fish in a foil-lined baking dish. Mix together the other ingredients and spread them over the fish to cover it well. Drizzle with a little oil and bake in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.