Volgograd angler lands large asp, shares recipe
The angler showcases a sizeable asp caught near the Astrakhan Oblast border during a trip.
Professional fisherman and author of the channel «On a Fishing Trip with Mamba» Aleksei Kolomiets caught a large asp and explained how to cook it deliciously. The trophy outing was successful for him on the border with Astrakhan Oblast. The fisherman admitted that this year the asp is skittish and finicky — but what a gorgeous ukha — Russian fish soup — it makes!
«This year the asp is very “finicky”. Either it doesn’t let you get within casting range of a lure, or it quickly swims off somewhere. The seagulls scatter, and after that there’s silence at that spot. However, it helps to look around and seize the moment before the gulls have spotted the asp’s feeding frenzy while it’s already chasing fry. That’s how we, already on the way to the base, noticed splashes at a depth of 2–25 meters. The asp was a good size, which made it hard to catch,» says Aleksei. «Catching asp is often called “asp hunting” because we see the quarry, aim in its direction, and try to reach it with the cast. With other kinds of fish it’s different.»
The fisherman admitted that for him asp is the most waste-free fish. Part goes for salting, and part — for ukha (Russian fish soup) and fish cutlets.
«The fillet — I salt it like salmon. Three tablespoons of salt + one tablespoon of sugar per kilogram (2.2 lb) of fillet. It cures for 24 hours, is rinsed, and cut into pieces from the back toward the belly. Then, with a “fillet knife”, thin slices are shaved off and laid on bread with butter. The small bones are easy to remove from the mouth at that point,» says Aleksei (find a detailed asp salting recipe here). «The head and bones with the tail go into the ukha. If the asp is small, we use the fillet for cutlets and the bones for ukha. They say smoked asp is good, but I haven’t tried it.»
