Fish finesse
Let Asian carp invade your kitchen
With Asian carp, there’s good news and bad news.
They aren’t bottom feeders, they are filter feeders, which means they yield a filet of white, firm fish, like halibut—tasty enough for someone like James Beard Foundation-nominated chef Bun Lai to serve in his Connecticut restaurant, Miya’s.
The bad news is that Asian carp are invasive in freshwater environments in the U.S., especially Kentucky. “Because (Kentucky) has a confluence of two rivers and the lakes, it makes it very plentiful for the plankton,” says Lan Chi Luu, pictured below, known familiarly as Lula. Lula, along with her partner John Crilly, started Fin Gourmet in Paducah to build a business out of harvesting the invasive fish.
After the fish is skinned and deboned, it’s sold to restaurants like the Freight House in Paducah, and Lockbox 21 in Lexington, along with retail outlets and seafood distributors from Florida to New York to California.
Find where you can purchase Asian carp products near you or order for direct delivery at fingourmetfoods.com.
