Pechen Sharan (Bulgarian Stuffed Baked Carp)
The centerpiece of a traditional Bulgarian Christmas Eve table - whole carp stuffed with a meatless filling of rice, walnuts, and raisins, then baked until the skin crisps - fish, not meat, is what makes carp central to Badni Vecher, since Christmas Eve falls within the pre-Christmas fast and fish is the one animal protein still allowed; the walnut-raisin rice filling is the same base used in Bulgaria's other Lenten dishes.
⏱ 75 min🍽 6 servings
dinner
Ingredients
- •1 whole carp (3-4 lb), cleaned and scaled
- •1/2 cup rice
- •1 onion, finely chopped
- •1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
- •1/4 cup raisins
- •1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
- •1 tomato, diced
- •2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- •1 lemon, sliced
- •Salt to taste
- •Pepper to taste
Steps
- 1.Cook the rice in salted water until just barely tender, about 10 minutes, then drain - it will finish cooking inside the fish as it bakes.
- 2.Heat half the oil in a pan and sauté the onion for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, diced tomato, and parsley, and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- 3.Mix the cooked rice into the onion mixture, and season with salt and pepper - this walnut-raisin rice filling is the same meatless base used across Bulgaria's other Lenten dishes, since Christmas Eve falls within the pre-Christmas fast.
- 4.Rinse the carp inside and out and pat dry. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
- 5.Preheat the oven to 375°F. Stuff the carp generously with the rice filling, securing the opening closed with toothpicks or kitchen twine if needed.
- 6.Place the stuffed carp in a greased baking dish, drizzle with the remaining oil, and tuck the lemon slices over and around the fish.
- 7.Bake for 45-55 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the skin is crisp and the fish flakes easily at the thickest part.