Philippe Parola slaps a 40-pound slab of raw fish onto his cutting board, then brandishes a small saw to begin the fillet.

The chef, environmental advocate and showman is holding court on a backyard patio in Baton Rouge, where discussion of nature's delicate balance flows as freely the wine provided to his 20 or so guests, many of whom came unaware of what was on the menu.

“This is the very first time in this country that we’re going to be cooking this fish,” says Parola, pointing to the massive black carp, caught two days before in Simmesport. “No one else has the balls to go out there and do it.”

As the fish begins to sizzle on the grill, his French accent thickens with urgency as he explains a grim reality. The black carp is the latest species of Asian carp to spread through Louis

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