Invasive pest carp a popular part of traditional Czech-Australian Christmas
Filleted carp awaits crumbing and deep frying for a traditional South Bohemian Christmas meal. (Supplied: George Pekhart)
In short:
Carp is an introduced pest in Australia and when caught must be killed and not returned to the water.
It remains, however, an important part of the Christmas meal for Australians of Eastern European heritage.
Carp is traditionally served on Christmas Eve.
The carp caught by Glen Hill can end up in some very fancy dishes, including the 2024 Melbourne Royal Australian Food Award gold medal-winning smoked carp pate.
But this week the professional fisher who works the Coorong and Murray River received an unusual and specific order, for a Czech-Australian Christmas celebration.
"They wanted the carp because they wanted the scales to put in their wallet for good luck,"he said.
Glen Hill fishing for carp with chefs Mark Best and Duncan Welgemoed. (Supplied: Jacob Jennings Photography)
In Australia, carp is an introduced pest that's not widely seen as edible.
"People have told me eating carp is disgusting," said Veronika Seda, who moved to Australia from the Czech Republic 12 years ago.
However, in many Eastern European countries, it is an important part of traditional Christmas Eve celebrations.
Throw another carp on the barbie
Czech-born George Pekhart met his Australian wife Emma in London.
They decided to return to live in Adelaide 18 months ago and Mr Pekhart has introduced Christmas Eve carp and potato salad to his Australian family celebration.
George Pekhart says there's plenty of carp to choose from in the Finniss River, on the Fleurieu Peninsula. (Supplied: George Pekhart)
Just before Christmas he will head to the Fleurieu Peninsula's Finniss River, near Goolwa, to catch a fresh carp to prepare for them.
"There's so much carp you can pick the right fish you want,"he said.
After filleting and salting the fish, he'll throw it on the barbecue, with a coating of flour and paprika.
"You have to pick the best bits of it," he said.
"There's a way you can disturb the little bones with your knife and cut them so that the meat, the fillet, stays together."
Mr Pekhart won't be following the Czech tradition of keeping the fish alive in a bathtub before preparing it, but fellow expatriate Ms Seda has fond childhood memories of her parents doing this.
Carp is often crumbed and served with potato salad as part of a traditional Czech Christmas. (Supplied: Veronika Seda)
She said most people would buy a live carp from the market and take it home to keep for several days before it was eaten on Christmas Eve.
"People would line up with their bags with holes in it, like a knitted bag, and carry it home and put it in the bathtub," she said.
"We do put them in the bathtub and there's a reason for that," she said.
"It's part of the Christmas fun for kids to draw pictures [of the carp] and to name it."
The water in the bathtub would be replenished regularly to keep the carp alive and to purge any mud from the fish.
"As the days went on, you would see that the mud was leaving the carp," she said.
Carp for sale at the Adelaide Central Markets. (ABC South East SA: Caroline Horn)
Ms Seda said much of the carp sold in Czechia came from a sophisticated system of ponds established in the 12th century, and was relatively clean before being caught.
She said the most traditional Bohemian way to serve the carp was with root vegetables and a sauce made from prunes, raisins and ginger ale.
In Moravia, where she grew up, carp is crumbed like a schnitzel, deep fried and served with potato salad.
Scales for good luck
Ms Seda said the custom of putting a carp scale under each plate at the Christmas meal was connected to a traditional belief that it brought good fortune for the coming year.
"We put them in a purse and then, if we carry them around [for the following year], we'll be wealthy,"she said.
Mr Pekhart said almost as important as the carp and its preparation was the potato salad that often accompanied it.
An invasive species in Australia, carp cannot be returned to the water after being caught. (ABC Riverland: Anita Ward)
"If you have 100 families you have 100 different versions," he said.
"And usually all of them say, 'Mine is the best.'"
Mr Pekhart — who works as a brewer and wants to introduce more Australians to traditional Czech beers — said his tip for making the best potato salad was to prepare it a few days in advance and keep it cold.
"It brings up the flavours like in brewing," he said.