Fried Smelts Food

CRISP FRIED SMELT - SMELTS

Steps:

• Place flour in gallon or quart size storage bag add fish shake to coat.
• Mix egg and milk together and dip fish to coat. Then reflour the fish.
• In a large hot pan add frying oil or Crisco to cover bottom of pan, heat oil then place fish in till browned on one side flip and brown. About 2 minutes.
• Remove to paper towel or brown paper to drain oil season generously with salt and pepper and garnish if desired with lemon.

FRIED FRESH SMELTS

Steps:

• Clean fish, and remove the heads.
• Rinse fish well, and drain.
• Salt the fish, lightly coat in the breadcrumbs, then fry in the butter until golden brown on both sides.
• Serve immediately.

NORWEGIAN PAN-FRIED SMELT RECIPE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the 2 tbsp of olive oil, juice of one lemon, 1 minced garlic clove, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley; refrigerate.
• In a bowl, or a shallow dish, combine 1 cup flour, 2 tbsp cornmeal, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
• Place fish in batches into the bowl, coat with the seasoned flour mixture on both sides of the smelt, and then shake off excess flour (see notes below).
• Heat the oil (about 1-inch deep) in a large frying pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add enough smelt to cover the bottom of the pan without crowding (cook in batches). Cook for 2-3 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until golden brown, crispy, and thoroughly cooked.
• Repeat the process to cook the remaining smelt; drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
• Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot, drizzled with the lemon sauce.

FRIED SMELT AND VEGETABLES WITH SKORDALIA

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup of flour, semolina, salt, and pepper and mixes well. Dredge the fish in the buttermilk and then in the flour mixture. In a medium sized pot or deep fryer, heat 3 to 4 inches of oil and deep fry the fish until golden brown and becomes crisp. Remove fish and drain on paper towels. Serve with skordalia and a wedge of lemon.
• For Skordalia:
• Put the potatoes through a food mill or ricer and place in a bowl for mixing. Whisk in the cream, minced garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and a little water if necessary mix until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Keep cool until ready to use.

FRIED SMELTS

Steps:

• Whisk together flour and salt in a pie plate. Dredge smelt in flour mixture, coating both the outside and cavity of the fish.
• Heat oil in a frying pan 1/4-inch deep over medium heat until hot. Place fish in the hot oil; fry until crisp and firm, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove fish with a slotted spoon; drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

PAN-FRIED SMELTS

Steps:

• Rinse the smelts thoroughly and pat dry. Place the bread crumbs, salt and pepper into a large resealable bag and shake to combine. Place the lemon juice into a shallow dish. Dip the smelts into the juice and then place in the bag with the dry mixture and shake until the fish are well coated. You can coat 2 to 3 fish at a time, depending on their size.
• Place enough peanut oil into a 12-inch cast iron skillet just to cover the bottom of the pan. Place over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the smelts to the pan, 4 to 5 at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until lightly browned and cooked through.