The Director of the Senate Democrats Communications Department John Patterson had a chance to sample Asian carp this week from Carter’s Fish Market in Springfield. Here is his review:

For starters, the deep-fried Asian carp nestled between Rye bread slices, topped with onion and slathered in hot sauce looked nothing like the invasive species I’d witnessed launching itself from the backwaters of the Illinois River near Bath.

Turns out, it’s a pretty tasty invasive species.

Most of the credit must go to the breading utilized by Carter’s Fish Market in preparing the carp. Carter’s recently added Asian carp to it’s menu(http://www.sj-r.com/food/x481715588/A-La-Carte-St-Johns-Hospital-gets-2nd-Dunkin-Donuts).

The breading is light and crispy with a nice spice to it. Turns out Asian Carp are a pretty neutral tasting fish. No real fish flavor, just a nice flaky white base for the crispy batter. Nothing to suggest it spent most of its life filter feeding and wreaking economic and ecological devastation.

Perhaps Sen. Mike Jacobs is right.

“If you can’t beat ‘em, eat ‘em,” is his philosophy behind the state helping to get fish processing businesses up and running along the Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

Having watched the fish jump from the river to the fryer to my belly, I’m on board.

Two thumbs up. I’ll buy it – and eat it -- again.