Fried Smelts, Tasted
June 25, 2009 – 2:07 am
What delightfully mild little fish the smelts are, and how terrific that their smallness and abundance lends to my eating more of them. I estimate that I put away twenty-five of them last night at supper time. Their preparation was delightfully simple. Since there is a negligible amount of innards in the tiny body cavity, no gutting is required. Simply rinse and dust the whole fish in well-seasoned flour, then fry in about 3/4 inch of nearly smoking vegetable oil until browned to your liking. I like to add an ounce or two of olive oil to my fish-frying oil for body.
Drain them on a paper towel, sprinkling a little sea salt on while they’re still hot. A dash of lemon juice and a drizzling with olive oil are all that are really necessary, but as with calamari, a variety of dipping sauces and aiolis can complement the fish nicely. Smelts are just mild enough to act as a canvas for dipping sauces, and generally cheap enough to regard as you would a gang of chicken wings. Sauce ‘em up. They won’t be insulted.
For those of you who didn’t catch it, here’s my write-up of Mimice, the oldest fish cafe in Zagreb, where they serve lots of fried smelts, sprats and other wee fishies. I bought my fresh smelts at Newman’s Seafood in City Market, just up the street (735 NW 21st Ave, 503.221.3007), and Liz Crain has this nice little bit about Newman’s at Food Lover’s Guide to Portland.
2 Responses to “Fried Smelts, Tasted”
great foto, makes me hungry
By byron k. on Jun 25, 2009
I’ve been frying up the remaining pickles from last summer so I can make way for this year’s and now I have something else to add to the pan. Looks amazing. What’s your favorite sauce for them? I usually make a spicy remoulade for the pickles. I’m excited to read more of your blog.
By LizCrain on Jun 29, 2009