We're diving into the world of nongame fish with this tasty lake-to-plate carp cakes recipe. Generations of anglers may have overlooked the bulk of our state's fish as suitable table fare, instead saddling nongame fish with names like "rough fish" or even "trash fish" that have stuck to this day. But this recipe is definitely something you can sink your teeth into.
While our native fish community, including fish like gar and buffalofish, plays a vital role in our underwater ecosystem, they have been joined by less beneficial species like invasive carp. This recipe can be substituted with a variety of fish, but focuses on three of Oklahoma's invasive carp species, the common carp, silver carp and bighead carp. Because biologists are trying to restrict the spread of silver carp and bighead carp, anglers are only allowed to possess dead silver carp and bighead carp when they have reported the catches to the Wildlife Department by calling (918) 683-1031.
Wild About Cooking Tip:
Carp are notoriously boney. We suggest searching YouTube for more "how-to" videos to best process the fish for a boneless carp fillet.
