Eastern European · lunch, dinner
Saramura de Crap (Romanian Grilled Carp in Tomato Brine)
Saramură de crap
Video by Retetele Mihaelei on YouTube, in Romanian · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (8.9 g net carbs) but not keto: 33% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Fish. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
About 34 g protein and 9 g net carbs a serve: grilled carp in a light broth of roasted peppers, tomato and garlic, with no added fat at all.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 10
Method
The cook speaks Romanian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. The video’s English subtitles come on by themselves.
- Leave the carp rounds as they are and score a tail piece on both sides so it cooks through. Salt the fish all over and set aside while you do the vegetables. 0:52
- Heat a grill pan or vegetable griddle over high heat and roast all the peppers and the tomatoes, turning, until charred on every side. 1:38
- Put the peppers in a bowl covered with cling film to steam. Let the tomatoes cool, then peel, core and chop them finely. 2:01
- Peel the sweet peppers with fingertips dipped in cold water (don't rinse them — you'd lose the smoky juices) and chop the flesh. Leave the hot pepper whole. 2:33
- Reheat the grill to medium and cook the fish until done right through — about 25 minutes for 3 cm-thick pieces. High heat burns the outside before the middle cooks. 3:15
- When the fish is nearly ready, bring 1 litre of water with 1 tsp salt to the boil, add the tomatoes and roasted peppers and boil 5 minutes. 3:42
- Add the fish straight from the grill, the whole hot pepper and the pressed garlic. Simmer 5 minutes (take out the hot pepper if it's getting too fiery), season with pepper and scatter with parsley. 4:12
Tip. One piece of carp each (about 250 g on the bone is our estimate — she doesn't weigh it). In the Danube Delta it comes with firm polenta (mămăligă); a green salad keeps it lower in carbs. Pike, zander or trout work too.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 3
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 14%
- Protein 52%
- Fat 34%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
One serve has about 55% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin C High174%
156 mg a serve, mostly from green capsicums (45%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin B12 High84%
2 µg a serve, mostly from wild carp (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Omega-3 High65%
1 g a serve, mostly from wild carp (98%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin K High61%
74 µg a serve, mostly from parsley (74%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin B6 High46%
0.8 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (38%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Selenium High41%
23 µg a serve, mostly from wild carp (97%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Zinc High29%
3.1 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (83%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Potassium High24%
1150 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (51%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Magnesium High20%
82 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (63%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Folate Source19%
76 µg a serve, mostly from wild carp (31%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Iron Source18%
3.3 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (67%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Vitamin A Source18%
163 µg a serve, mostly from red kapia pepper (42%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Vitamin E Source13%
1.9 mg a serve, mostly from red kapia pepper (36%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Show the other 2
Calcium8%
108 mg a serve, mostly from wild carp (66%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Vitamin D0%
0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Šaltibarščiai (Lithuanian Cold Pink Kefir and Beet Soup)Eastern European · 472 kcal · 19 g protein
Budget Sauerkraut and Potato Soup (Kapuśniak-Style)Eastern European · 203 kcal · 19 g protein
Classic Ukrainian Borscht with White BeansEastern European · 206 kcal · 5.9 g protein
Gulyásleves: Hungarian Goulash SoupEastern European · 492 kcal · 29 g protein
Ostropel de Pui (Romanian Chicken in Garlic Tomato Sauce)Eastern European · 465 kcal · 37 g protein
Creamy Beef and Mushroom StroganoffEastern European · 495 kcal · 30 g protein
Recipe and video by Retetele Mihaelei; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.