Therefore, we decided to visit the town of Třeboň, whose local fish restaurants are very popular not only among the locals. And this is because the Třeboň carp, named after the region where it was bred, is held in high esteem among the people.
The restaurants Šupina ('Scale') and Šupinka ('Little Scale') are relatives, stand a few steps from each other, and, as their names testify, have the most direct relation to the fish kingdom. One of the favorite dishes here is kapří hranolky (carp fries).
'Carp fries is our restaurant's signature dish, which has existed almost since the founding of this establishment, and it was invented by my parents together with a chef who once worked here,' says Petr Miller, owner of the 'scaly' establishments. 'These are small pieces of carp fillet (all bones must be removed), which are placed in a special marinade before frying. We do not disclose the marinade recipe, it is our secret, so unfortunately I cannot share the secret with you.'
Nevertheless, I found one recipe for this dish on the Internet. And although it apparently differs from the original, it is also worth trying.
For 4 servings of 'kapří hranolky' you will need 600 g of carp fillet, 10 g of salt, a handful of sweet paprika, garlic, ground cumin, ground ginger, 30 g of soy sauce, 50 g of fine flour, 30 g of starch flour, vegetable oil for frying. Cut the fillet into long thin slices, salt, rub in crushed garlic and spices, let it sit in soy sauce. Roll in a mixture of paprika, flour and starch flour, after frying, place the fries on a napkin to drain excess fat. Serve with a sauce of horseradish and sour cream.
How in demand is this signature dish, a kind of 'chips' from carp, among customers? 'The demand for this dish is high, but the situation is somewhat marred by competitors who use our name and try to copy our recipe,' says Petr Miller. 'However, the visitor can see for themselves the quality of their preparation. We, unlike them, have adhered to the original recipe for more than twenty years, this is fundamental for us.'
Petr Miller also told what they offer in his restaurant for the Christmas menu: 'One of our signature Christmas dishes is carp with plum sauce. Traditionally we prepare fish soup, carp milt in oil with spices - in various variations. And definitely - a carp dish. An exquisite dessert and a good wine from the Moravia region are also served.'
The restaurateur noted that over two to three months, tens of thousands of servings of carp fries are served in the establishment, and at the height of the season, 200-250 kg of carp fillet is consumed per week in the restaurant.
'In Třeboň, fish is held in high esteem,' he says. 'And my impression is, of course, based on contact with our restaurant visitors who already know what they can rely on or come because they were recommended to us, but for my part, I would certainly like to contribute to the development of the tradition of consuming freshwater fish. We are considering the idea of opening a good fish bistro or fish restaurant in Prague and other Czech cities. We would also like to bring to the market our excellent fish salads – these are also our original recipes, delicacies from smoked fish and other products.'
Petr Miller, who studied gastronomy in Austria, is confident: 'We should focus on the classic method of cooking and avoid semi-finished products at all costs, rely on the old Czech approach, pull out from the past ancient and forgotten recipes and, after refreshing them a bit, adopt them. I think all restaurants should follow this path.'
Based on materials from Radio Prague.