frying smelts/ fish for beginners

[Karletto]

This thread is not quite about spearfishing but smelts are 1 of my favorite. Smelts are thin, max. 10cm/ 3.9 in long so u'll need quite a lot of them in order to have a full stomach. The fish is swimming in a troop (looks like baby sardines), hunted with a net and can be eaten whole. Of course if u find it disgusting or the fish is too big, clean it or shut up and don't eat it -> but its like eating chips. It is probably the only fish that can be hunted legal with a net.
Let's start ->

Clean the fish with water
If the smelt is big cut the head and tail
Smaller smelts can be eaten whole
Roll the fish in flour -> not cake flour!
Heat corn oil or whatever oil (olive is quite expensive) in a pan till it almost boils -> check the temperature of the oil with dropping a small amount of flour in the oil -> it should begin to fry right after it falls in oil
Fry the smelts till gold color
Remove smelts on a paper towel in order to get rid of excess oil
Add salt

Serve with half a lemon, maionese/ tatar sauce and bread; the decoration can be a piece of parsley; drink sweet/ semi sweet or dry white wine
Bon appetite

[Karletto]

Out of the oil you used -> chips can join smelts too.

a lot less oil is needed -> just to cover the pans bottom
Wash and peel the potatoes
Cut potatoes in thin slices; no flour needed
Heat the oil and fry slices till brown color + roll in order to make slices same color on both sides
Remove on a paper towel on a plate
Add salt

[agbiv]

Karletto you cooking devil you--Seasalt lends a real nice flavor but use sparingly. Are sardines okay like this?

[Karletto]

of course, grinned salt only
sardines need to be first cleaned (guts, head, things on the skin scales?)
4am more tomorrow

[agbiv]

Right--crash, scales is correct. it's about 9 PM here.

[devondave]

Serve with half a lemon, maionese/ tatar sauce and bread; the decoration can be a piece of parsley; drink any kind of white wine
Bon appetite
[/quote]
What do you mean " drink any kind of white wine " . Who do you think we are on db , a bunch of winos ? ( on second thoughts don't answer that ) . I'm sure you meant " drink a nice Chablis " or " drink a decent Chardonnay " or how about some Sauvignon such as Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume' . Any of these will accompany fried fish and cope with the lemon and tartar sauce . Good beer or lager also go well with fried fish . Don't spoil a good meal with the wrong choice of beverage , (it's important ) , ask the French or Italians or southern Germans ( add food loving/wine guzzling country of choice ), but apart from all that a nice recipe .

[Karletto]

dry/ semi sweet/ sweet white wine


I usually eat sadines with potatoes - cucumber salad.

Wash potatoes and cucumber
Boil the water and put potatoes in it
Cook potatoes 15min and check with a fork -> potato has to be soft
Peel the cucumber and cut it in thin slices (-> the tool to slice apples etc helps -> watch fingers)
With a fork remove potatoes from the boiled water, cool down with water and peel with a knife
Cut potatoes in pieces
Put potatoes and cucumber slices in a bowl + mix with an onion, garlic, parsley, grinned popper, salt, oil, vinegar. If u want calories add maionese.

Serve cold


@kids: hot oil/ water is extremely dangerous; oil left on fire can ignite; bigger pans are more stable; smaller pans can slide; use pan cover/ newspaper on the wall in order to save the paint/ your skin; use wooden tools for new/ teflon pans

[agbiv]

Or use red or white skinned potatoes (well scrubbed of course) and leave skin ON!!! Nice color, texture & more nutrients.

[Oldsarge]

Originally Posted by agbiv

Or use red or white skinned potatoes (well scrubbed of course) and leave skin ON!!! Nice color, texture & more nutrients.

smelts is wunnerful. we've et a barrel full through the years. Kudos to everyone on this thread for the recipes and the memories.


Maybe I ought to go fishing again, some time soon . . .