Recently, I bought myself a mini deep fryer and yesterday was trying it out for the second time. I made deep fried calamari and deep fried smelt (my favorite) and since both turned out absolutely fantastic, here I am with the recipes for you.
You don’t need to buy a deep fryer to cook these recipes. A regular stove and a pot filled with canola or peanut oil will be quite sufficient. I only bought mine because we like to entertain and cook often and a lot.
Smelt are usually fried whole, but last time I fried them there was something in the heads that felt somewhat gritty, so I decided to cut the heads off this time.
Also, since smelt is eaten whole with bones, fins and all, go for small fish. When deep fried, the bones get completely cooked through and become so tender that the smelt practically slides down your throat.
You will need:
- 1 lb small smelt
- About 1.5 quarts canola or peanut oil, more or less so that it fills the pot at least 2 inches high
For breading:
1st bowl:
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- A pinch of each salt and black pepper
2nd bowl:
- 1 Large egg
- 2 Tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt
- A pinch of black pepper
3rd bowl:
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp rice flour
- 1 tsp regular flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- A pinch or two of cayenne, if you like it a bit spicy
Dipping sauce to serve with (garlic aioli, spicy Vietnamese, Skordalia etc.)
Cut off the smelt heads or leave them whole, it’s your call. Rinse the fish and dry well by placing them between the layers of paper towel. Meanwhile, start heating oil in a deep fryer or a pot and combine the breading ingredients in three wide bowls. I use wheat all purpose flour for the first coating since it sticks better and because of this the egg wash clings to the smelt more evenly. I prefer panko breadcrumbs over regular ones in the final coating because they are fluffier and give any deep fried product more volume and crunch. Rice flour also enhances the crispness of the coating but in a different way, if you see what I mean. It just feels different in your mouth like a subtler kind of crispiness. So to my taste, rice flour and panko breadcrumbs complement each other greatly in breading.
Deep frying is a fast process, so have everything you need for it ready and handy. Place the three breading bowls in the right order next to the stove/deep fryer so you don’t make an unnecessary mess while carrying breaded smelt to the oil. (I don’t sound bossy, do I?) On the other side of the deep dryer/oil pot, place a platter lined with a paper towel. This is where the cooked smelt will go.
When oil has reached 370 F, start deep frying. Working in small batches, dredge the fish first in seasoned flour and then dip them in the egg wash. Gently shake off the excess of the egg wash and transfer the smelt to the third bowl. Dredge all over with the panko breadcrumb mixture and very carefully put into the oil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.
Scoop the cooked smelt out with a slotted spoon or skimmer, carefully shake off the excess oil and transfer to the platter lined with a paper towel. The towel will absorb the remainder of the oil, leaving the smelt dry and crunchy.
Continue with the rest of the smelt until all is cooked. Serve right away along with aioli, sour-n-spicy Vietnamese style dipping sauce or smooth garlicky Skordalia dip (the recipe in the next post).
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