Regina in Porchetta
Regina in Porchetta is Lake Trasimeno's signature roast carp, known locally as la regina del Trasimeno, stuffed with cured pork pancetta, garlic, and wild fennel.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 90 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large roasting tin
- •Kitchen twine
- •Sharp chef knife
- •Mortar and pestle
- •Pastry brush
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 32 g
- carbs
- 1 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 46 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C.
- 2
Rinse the carp thoroughly under cold running water and pat completely dry inside and out with kitchen paper.
- 3
Score the thick flesh diagonally on both sides, making shallow cuts three centimetres apart without cutting into the bone.
- 4
Combine the chopped pancetta, minced lard, garlic, fennel fronds, fennel pollen, rosemary, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
- 5
Rub half of the seasoning paste firmly into the internal cavity of the fish.
- 6
Press the remaining seasoned pork mixture into the exterior diagonal score marks on both sides of the carp.
- 7
Tie the carp with kitchen twine at three intervals along the body to keep the cavity closed during roasting.
- 8
Place the stuffed carp in a large oiled roasting tin and drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil.
- 9
Roast in the hot oven for twenty minutes until the skin begins to crisp and turn golden brown.
- 10
Pour the dry white wine into the base of the tin and reduce the oven temperature to 180 degrees C.
- 11
Baste the carp with the pan juices and roast for another thirty to forty minutes until the thickest part flakes easily.
- 12
Rest the roasted carp for ten minutes before carving into thick portions, spooning over the rendered aromatic pan juices.
Chef's tips
Wild fennel pollen gives the authentic porchetta aroma; use dried seeds crushed in a mortar if pollen is unavailable. Ensure the carp is thoroughly scaled and deslimed before roasting to ensure crisp, sweet skin.
Ingredient substitutions
- wild fennel pollen → ground wild fennel seeds
- common carp → large freshwater trout or pike-perch (lucioperca)
- pancetta tesa → unsmoked streaky bacon finely chopped
Storage
Store leftover roasted carp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered baking dish at 160 degrees C with a splash of white wine until warm through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Leaving excess lake slime on the skin, which creates a muddy aroma when roasted.
- •Under-seasoning the dense flesh, which needs generous salt, pepper, and wild fennel to cut through the rich fish.
- •Over-roasting without basting, which dries out the delicate freshwater flesh.
Serving suggestions
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