What to Serve Instead of Carp on Christmas Eve: Other Fish, Schnitzel & Meat-Free Options

The best substitutes for carp are pike-perch, trout, salmon, cod (or other white sea fish fillets) and pike. The main difference is the bones: carp (and pike, to some extent) has fine intramuscular bones running through the flesh, while pike-perch, trout, salmon and sea fish fillets have almost none — and bones are the most common reason people skip carp in the first place.

• Pike-perch – white, firm flesh, the closest match to carp, with minimal bones. Fry or bake it.

• Trout – whole, roasted on a tray, ready in 20–25 minutes, bones lift out in one piece.

• Salmon – fillets are usually sold boneless; any stray bones can be pulled out with tweezers. Rich and juicy, but unforgiving if overcooked.

• Cod, Alaska pollock, halibut – easy, boneless sea fish, perfect for breading and frying.

• Pike – bonier than pike-perch, but great for frying.

Pike-perch is the most natural substitute, because breaded and fried it looks and tastes like carp — just with far fewer bones. Pull out any remaining small bones with tweezers before coating.

Trout is the simplest option if you don't want to bread or fry anything — it just goes in the oven whole. Allow one trout (250–350 g) per person; at 200°C (390°F) it's ready in 20–25 minutes.

The bones stay attached to the spine, so you can lift them out in a single piece once it's roasted. It's also a good option for anyone put off carp by its small bones.

Salmon is a popular fish substitute for carp: fillets are usually sold boneless, and any remaining small bones can be removed with tweezers. A 150–180 g portion roasts in the oven in about 12–15 minutes at 180–200°C (355–390°F); the most common mistake is overcooking it.

Salmon is richer than carp, so it can feel heavier alongside a mayonnaise-based potato salad. Balance it out with lemon, dill, or a lighter, mayo-free salad.

Cod, Alaska pollock, or halibut fillet is the easiest boneless fish for frying — breaded, it cooks in 2–3 minutes per side. Cod and Alaska pollock are the cheapest options, while halibut is richer and juicier. Thaw frozen fillets overnight in the fridge and pat them thoroughly dry before coating, or they'll release water and the breading will fall off. If you'd rather not fry, try baking it under a crispy crust instead.

Pike is a good choice for anyone who wants fish and a nod to tradition at the same time. Before carp took over, pike was among the fish served on Christmas Eve. It has firm, lean flesh, but more bones than pike-perch, so buy it as fillets and fry the portions in a light coating.

Choose pork schnitzel if you want a classic that stays juicy even after reheating; chicken is milder, cooks faster, and tends to be more popular with kids — and either one can also be baked on a tray instead of fried. Both work just as well alongside potato salad.

• Pork schnitzel made from loin or leg: pound it to 5–7 mm thick, fry at 170°C (340°F) for about 3–4 minutes per side.

• Chicken schnitzel from breast meat: slice it into even-thickness pieces, otherwise the edges dry out before the centre cooks through. It's done at an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).

• Baked schnitzels are a lifesaver on a day when everything else is happening in the kitchen at once: on a tray at 200°C (390°F) for about 20–25 minutes, flipped halfway, no pan to watch.

Without meat, the best carp substitutes are celeriac schnitzel, fried oyster mushrooms, fried cheese or the traditional mushroom kuba. All of them go just as well with potato salad as fish does.

• Celeriac schnitzel – parboil 1 cm-thick slices of celeriac for 5–8 minutes in salted water, pat dry, then coat and fry. Raw celeriac in its coating stays tough.

• Oyster mushrooms – take whole clusters or large caps, press lightly and dry-fry first, then coat and fry. Squeezing out the moisture beforehand is what gives you a crispy coating.

• Fried cheese – Edam or Camembert-style cheese, sliced 1–1.5 cm thick, double-coated (egg and breadcrumbs, twice), otherwise the cheese leaks out while frying.

• Kuba – baked pearl barley with dried mushrooms, garlic and marjoram; historically a Christmas Eve fasting dish, and one vegetarians will appreciate as a main course.

Carp has been on the Christmas Eve table for a shorter time than you might think: it caught on among middle-class urban families in the 19th century and only spread to the countryside after World War I. Fried, breaded carp as we know it today only became widespread after World War II — before that, it was more commonly served blue-poached (simmered in a vinegar broth with root vegetables) or black-style (in a sweet sauce with prune butter or plums, gingerbread and nuts).

Before carp, people ate whatever fish happened to be available. So if you serve a different fish instead of carp, you're not breaking with tradition at all.

Per adult, allow 150–200 g of fish fillet or meat for schnitzels, or one whole trout of 250–350 g. Kids will eat roughly half that.

• Fillet (pike-perch, cod, salmon): 150–180 g

• Whole trout: 1 fish (250–350 g)

• Pork or chicken schnitzel: 150–200 g

• Celeriac for schnitzels: about 1 small bulb per 2 people

If you're serving two options at once (say, fish and schnitzel), about two-thirds of a portion of each is enough.

All the carp substitutes pair well with potato salad, and to start the meal, fish or mushroom soup. You can make fish soup without carp too — buy heads and bones for stock from your fishmonger, or use the trimmings from a whole fish, such as trout. Salmon or trout pair nicely with a lighter, mayo-free potato salad.