Koktal | Kazakh-Style Butterflied Carp Baked with Vegetables

Scrape the carp’s scales from tail to head with the back of a knife. Lay the fish belly-side down and cut from head to tail along the backbone, just beside the dorsal fin. Open the two sides like a book without cutting through the belly skin. Remove the organs and gills, scrape the dark membrane from the cavity with a spoon, and rinse the fish in cold water.

Lay the fish flat with the skin side down and make diagonal cuts in the flesh every 1.5 cm, stopping before the skin. Rub the salt, black pepper, crushed garlic, and lemon juice into the cuts.

Cut the onion into thin rings, the tomatoes into 5 mm slices, and the pepper into strips. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 390°F.

Lay the fish skin-side down in a large greased baking pan. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over the flesh, then arrange the onion, peppers, and tomatoes on top, in that order. Drizzle with the remaining oil.

Bake at 200°C / 390°F for 35–40 minutes, until the tomato edges are browned and wrinkled. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish should read 63°C / 145°F; the flesh should be white and opaque and flake when pressed with a fork.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and bring the fish to the table in its baking pan, with lemon wedges alongside. Use a spatula to divide portions along the scored lines.