Rác ponty
Rác is the old Hungarian name for the Serbs who settled along the Danube in southern Transdanubia, and in towns like Mohács and Baja their style of baked carp became a Friday and holiday favourite. Scored carp fillets are laid over sliced potatoes, pale green peppers, onion and tomato, sprinkled with paprika and baked, then finished with sour cream so the vegetables underneath soak up the juices. Traditionally thin strips of smoked pork bacon are tucked into the cuts of the fish; they are optional here, so leave them out for a pork-free dish. It is a whole meal in one dish, best with fresh bread. A common mistake is putting raw potato under the fish, which is still hard when the carp is done; parboil it first. Chef's tip: score the carp finely every 4 mm so the oven heat softens its small bones.





