The native Schörflinger top chef Lukas Nagl may be considered a quiet guy, but when it comes to his passion for the culinary world, he is a force of nature: "We never suffered hunger. Need was foreign to us. We have become a society of abundance." Instead of complaining about it, however, he uses this abundance to develop extraordinary creations . For Nagl, for example, fish skin is far too precious to simply throw away. Instead, he turns them into crispy and addictive chips. To do this, he briefly cooks the fish skin, removes any residue of meat and fat, dries it and finally deep fries:

The skin is placed between two strips of baking paper and dried in a pan over low heat. It is then baked in hot oil at 180 degrees until crispy.

Lukas Nagl, Executive Chef at "Das Bootshaus" and "Wirtshaus Poststube 1327

Fish skin corals with scales

Nagl then goes one step further: "If you form several skins into a roll, freeze them, slice them thin, dry them and then deep-fry them, you get beautiful fish skin corals." But not only the skin, also the scales of walleye, perch and whitefish are excellent for deep-frying, according to Nagl. His experience is documented in his recipe book "The Fisherman and the Cook" ( a Falstaff book tip), where the 35-year-old talented chef presents some of these fascinating creations.

Head, fillet and tail

Stefan Griessler, another standout in Austrian fish cuisine, also pays close attention to every part of the fish that others would throw away. "Many people throw away the carp head, yet you can make great dishes with it," says the 30-year-old chef, who, like Nagl, works in Traunkirchen in Upper Austria. Both chefs encourage using everything from the head to the tail and using it creatively. A very special meat is obtained from a cooked carp head. Stefan Griessler prefers to serve the head on a bed of rice meat.

Smokehouse and fish soups

His other creations are also anything but ordinary, such as smoked carp with sour pickled onions on a cold cracker slice with diced beets. Griessler also likes to experiment with fish soups by adding fresh white cabbage, which gives the dish a sweet note. He recommends adding soy sauce or Hungarian paprika powder for a richer flavour combination.

The "Fish of the Future for the Whole World"

Lukas Nagl has a special preference for raw fish and breaks with traditional notions: "It's a myth that only salmon or tuna can be eaten raw," he says. As sashimi, Nagl recommends carp, which he describes as an underrated "fish of the future for the whole world." The carp is particularly characterised by its versatility, undemanding nature and environmentally friendly production.

Carp sashimi?

To prepare perfect sashimi, Nagl places a piece of carp belly in a brine of three percent salt and one percent sugar for two hours. It is then patted dry and cut into thin slices of three to five millimeters. Add a little organic soy sauce to round out the sashimi and it's ready to serve.

River perch approaching

Franz Wiesmayr, a Danube fisherman and trained chef from Linz, also relies on local fish. His favourite is the river perch, which should weigh at least three quarters of a kilo. Wiesmayr coats the fish with a salt crust made from a generous amount of sea salt, egg whites, garlic and herbs, then bakes it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes at 180 degrees. After tapping off the salt crust, the river perch is served with a balsamic tomato vinaigrette and boiled potatoes.

Eyes open when buying fish

However, before experimenting with these recipes at home, it is important to be attentive when buying fish. Stefan Griessler emphasises the characteristics of fresh fish: "The eyes should be clear and not cloudy, the gills should be dark red and the fish should not smell like fish, but fresh."

Innovation, creativity and the use of the whole fish are the keys to the fascinating fish creations of top Austrian chefs. From crispy fish skin chips and delicate sashimi to unusual dishes featuring fish heads and fish liver sausage, they offer a wealth of culinary experiences to delight palates and minds alike.