Fried Smelts
Whole small smelts dredged in seasoned flour and fried until golden and crisp, eaten bones and all with lemon. A Feast of the Seven Fishes favorite. Serves 6.
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Smelts are small, sweet, silvery fish that are a fixture of the Italian-American Christmas Eve table. They are dredged in flour, fried until crisp and eaten whole, tiny bones and all, like seafood french fries.
Fresh smelts appear at fish counters in winter; frozen cleaned smelts work well the rest of the year.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds smelts, cleaned and heads removed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Vegetable or light olive oil, for frying
- Lemon wedges and chopped parsley, for serving
Instructions
- Soak. Rinse the smelts and soak in the milk for 15 minutes.
- Heat the oil. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet to 360°F.
- Dredge. Mix the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Lift the smelts from the milk and toss in the flour, shaking off the excess.
- Fry. Fry in batches for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack and sprinkle with salt.
- Serve. Serve hot with lemon wedges and parsley.
Tips
- Fry in small batches so the oil stays hot and the fish stay crisp.
- Keep finished batches warm on a rack in a 200°F oven.
Questions about this recipe
- Do you eat the bones in smelts?
- Yes. The bones are tiny and soft and become crisp when fried.
- Do smelts need to be cleaned?
- Most are sold cleaned. If not, cut off the heads and pull out the insides with your finger.
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