A carp is a noble animal, even if it is "tortured by hard captivity," that is - bred in a nursery. Even in this case it walks with pride and accepts its fate. But if you happen to buy (I don't say catch) a wild carp which fattened up in a natural pond, fed not with what was mixed in necessary human proportions, but with what nature prompted and showed you, you are twice as lucky. At the market in a small town I bought a carp of almost nine-kilograms, caught in the lake. It was enough for a soup, for pickling, and, of course, for the dish whose recipe I propose.