Baked carp with zacuscă, Romanian eggplant spread

Name: Baked carp with zacuscă, Romanian eggplant spread
Ingredients: 2 kg fresh cleaned carp; 400 g eggplant zacuscă; 4 tablespoons olive oil; 300 g cherry tomatoes; 4 garlic cloves; 1 tablespoon rosemary oregano and basil blend; 15 g leek greens; 15 g fresh parsley

Fish - Baked carp with zacuscă, Romanian eggplant spread by Carla C. - Recipia

Baked carp with zacuscă takes 20-25 minutes at 200°C, with cherry tomatoes and garlic; at the end, the fish browns and the tomatoes soften. The eggplant zacuscă forms a thick layer around it, and I choose carp with firm flesh and a clean smell, two signs I check when buying fish for the oven. Prep: 15 minutes. Cook: 25 minutes. Total: 40 minutes. Servings: 8. Approximately 300 kcal and 27 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

2 kg fresh cleaned carp
400 g eggplant zacuscă
4 tablespoons olive oil
300 g cherry tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon rosemary oregano and basil blend
15 g leek greens
15 g fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Pat the cleaned carp dry with paper towels and cut it into pieces. 2. Arrange the pieces in an oven dish. Pour the zacuscă and olive oil over them, then add the whole cherry tomatoes and peeled garlic. Sprinkle with the rosemary oregano and basil blend. 3. Bake at 200°C for 20-25 minutes, until the fish starts to brown and the flesh flakes easily. 4. Chop the leek greens and parsley, sprinkle them over the fish and serve warm.

Notes

Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge and eat within 3 days. With warm polenta, it brings to mind fish served alongside a stew, except here the zacuscă goes over the carp. When buying, look for clear eyes and firm, springy flesh; the smell should be clean, with no sharp odor. Thick pieces need closer to the end of the cooking time, while thin ones should be checked from minute 20. If the zacuscă is very watery, let it drain a little before adding it to the dish so the sauce doesn't stay too thin. The herb blend can be replaced with 1 tablespoon dried thyme.