'Nice day for a fry-up'
One of the most bizarre allegations made against Mrs Jones by her neighbours, the Fowlers, was that she stole their beloved koi carp, fried them and ate them in full view of the couple while saying: "Nice day for a fry-up."
There is nothing illegal about eating koi and they are, in fact, regarded as a delicacy in China, prized for their taste rather than the exotic colouring for which the Fowlers kept them.
Koi are handsome fish. Pampered, they grow into large and very expensive fish indeed. Under the skin they are little different from the kind of carp that's been eaten in Britain since the Middle Ages.
The question which may intrigue fish fanciers is what their koi taste like, and would they be better gently steamed or fried and served with chips? Chinese gourmets insist on carp so fresh it is flipping minutes before it is served.
With this information, I set off to eat a carp at the Fung Shing restaurant in Lisle Street. On the advice of David Lam, the manager, I went for steamed fresh carp with ginger and spring onions which, he suggested, would be the best way to appreciate the delicate flavour of the fish.
Having placed the order it was straight down to the kitchen, where fish and eels are kept in prime condition in tanks until the moment they are despatched.
As for my carp, he (or perhaps she?) was a handsome fish with heavy scales and a broad tail; he wasn't exotically marked or brightly coloured like a koi but he had the same torpedo shaped body and vacant expression, obviously bursting with good health.
After our introduction I went back to the table and settled in to wait for dinner, while the chefs set to. About 15 minutes and glass of Chinese beer later the carp arrived, laid out on a large platter and Mr Lam whipped out the backbone with a practised touch.
The flesh was firm, delicately flavoured, and not all muddy. It tasted vaguely metallic while the spring onion, ginger and soy mixture made a good contrast.
It was a good dish, especially when teamed with some Chinese broccoli and white rice to soak up the juices, but sea bass and salmon should not feel threatened, and I for one will not being casting covetous and greedy glances at my neighbour's fishpond.
