Fried Smelt is an easy Spring dinner for any night of the week! They literally take 5 minutes to cook, so dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes!
Every springtime around the Great Lakes in the United States and southern Canada, the yearly smelts run happens. Fishermen can be seen, at night, with lanterns and nets, in the streams and river tributaries of the lakes, as the smelts go upstream to breed; smelt dipping, as it’s called.
Smelt are also sold commercially, if you live close enough to one of the Great Lakes or some of the coastal lands of the northern Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Different species of smelts are found in Europe, and northern Asia, and also in Australia! Our local smelts range from about 7″ to 9″. Learn more at Wikipedia
We used to stay up until the sun came up and drive an hour south of us to a stream where you were guaranteed to get the best haul of smelts, if you stayed up most of the night. Then we would spend the next way cleaning the smelts.
How to Clean Fresh Smelts
- Cut off their heads, just past the gills. (very small smelts can be cooked with their heads attached.)
- Slit the belly to the anal fin.
- Remove entrails.
- Wash cavity thoroughly.
Freezing Smelts
- Once smelts are cleaned, place in salted water for approximately 1 hour.
- Drain
- Freeze in plastic freezer bags or vacuum sealed bag.
- Adding 1/2 cup of water to the bag will prolong the freezing time.
- Can be frozen for up to 6 months.
How to Cook Fried Smelt
- Measure about 1 cup of flour into a covered bowl or plastic food storage bag. Add Lemon Pepper and Celery Salt. Mix well.
- Add. fish and shake to coat.
Cook smelt in shallow oil in a heavy bottom pan, until crispy on first side. Flip with tongs or spatula when browne, and brown second side.
What to serve with smelt
Serve smelt with lots of different sides. Some good ones include;
- Sweet potato fries
- Fries or chips
- coleslaw
- side salad
- cottage cheese
- mashed potatoes
Other Delicious Fish Recipes on Binky’s Culinary Carnival
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Sauces That are Great to Serve with Smelt
- Cocktail Sauce
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Fermented Hot Sauce (or Tabasco, Sriracha)
- Tartar Sauce
- Ketchup
That’s how easy it is to make Fried Smelt. Thanks for stopping by today!
Enjoy! And have fun cooking!
Xoxo,
Tools I Use to Make Fried Smelt
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Fried Smelt
Ingredients
- 1 lb smelt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs can substitute corn flake crumbs
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp lemon Pepper, or to taste
- 2 tsp Olive Oil plus more, if needed
- 1 tbsp Butter
Instructions
- Add flour, bread crumbs, celery salt and lemon pepper to large covered bowl or plastic food storage bag. Mix well.
- Add smelts and shake until thoroughly covered. See notes below.
- Melt butter in olive oil in large cast iron skillet over high heat.
- Add smelts, in batches, to hot oil and saute 2-3 minutes per side, until browned and crispy. Drain on wire rack.
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
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Notes
- Cocktail Sauce
- Thousand Island Dressing
- Fermented Hot Sauce (or Tabasco, Sriracha)
- Tartar Sauce
- Ketchup
Nutrition
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JoeB
I live in Alberta, Canada, and years ago could get frozen, dressed smelt (4-6 inches) in some supermarkets, but for years now only tiny ones, undressed and like bait smelt have been available. Some years ago in Edmonton a local seafood retailer was able to get me some from a Scandinavian supplier in season. In Calgary for years now and no smelt. A local retailer said he’d been trying to source some for months (that’s how hard they are to get here!) so left my name on his list a month ago and today he had finally sourced some Atlantic sea smelt! Going to have my first pan fried smelt feed in years tonight!
Beth Neels
That’s great! We have a hard time finding them too. Haven’t been able to find any so far this year. We continue to look though. When we can find them they are Canadian (Ontario, I think) Whe we were young we would stay up all night catching and cleaning them but, alas, time wears us down. Lol! Let me know how they turn out! Thanks Joe.
JoeB
They were great Beth! I purchased enough for 4 meals for myself and am having the second batch tonight. Spacing it out because they ARE expensive, understandable I guess because of how hard they are to get. I was pointed to the local seafood retailer who got them for me (Boyd’s Lobster Shop) by a wholesaler, because in desperation I had called a couple of seafood wholesalers to see if they had any suggestions. And Boyd’s did come through, because luckily they had spent months trying to source them for other customers. You might want to try that route, or a really good local seafood retailer. Just a thought! 🙂
Beth Neels
I haven’t been able to find any yet. I’m waiting with anticipation! Glad you liked the recipe Joe.
Dawn
HI, you my ok the she from for oxen or thaw the thaw them out first
Please let me know as i’m making these for friends tomorrow
dawn
Beth Neels
They should thaw before cooking.
Lily
How long/days can i store them out side the refrigerator after cooking ?
Beth Neels
You don’t want to leave them out of the refrigerated. Leftovers should be refrigerated and will last approximately 3 days.
Ira
We ate them a lot when we were kids. And also can make into a nice curry if you are game for it. Some remove the heads and others leave them on. Nice with rice. If you are stuck with a bone in your throat what mum said was to swallow a ball of rice without munching)followed by a glass of water.
Beth Neels
My mom always said a wad of white bread, so the same theory. I love curries. I would love to try that! Thanks Ira!
Michael Powell
Would like to fry them .
Beth Neels
You mean deep fried? You can do that too, just don’t overcook them! Thanks Michael!
Claudia Canu
Beth, following up to your last comment… if I’m making them only for adults, would you fry them as they are? With bones, head and everything else? Also, could they be done in an air fryer? Thanks!
Beth Neels
Some people leave the heads on. We always removed the heads when we cleaned them. These ones were from Canada and I purchased them at my local grocer. They had the head removed. You could cook them head on. It won’t affect the flavor. I personally wouldn’t eat them, but have known people who did. As far as the air fryer, I don’t see why not! I have been going to try them in the air fryer, I haven’t as of yet. I’ll update you once I do! Thanks Claudia!
Ramona
This is the best way to serve these little fish – we also refer to them here as whitebait (I hope I am not wrong). They are delicious. You really made me crave for those now and I need to go and get some and have them ASAP.
Beth Neels
Oh, that’s interesting to know Ramona! I wonder if they are the same genus and species. They are tasty, though, for sure! Thank you!
Brian Jones
What an interesting recipe and a new name to me, in some ways it is similar to what we call whitebait in the UK, which is immature fish that are fried and eaten whole, head and guts included 😮 They are a lot younger than these smelts though.
This sounds delicious!
Beth Neels
This variety of smelt gets approximately 20 cm in length, so they are quite small. I have known people to eat the entire fish, but we prefer to clean them! Thanks Brian!
Adrianne
Wow a 5 minute recipe that is amazing!! These look fabulous, great recipe! I am going to give these a try! Cheers
Beth Neels
Thanks so much Adrianne! I love quick and easy meals, we all do! Right?
Michelle
These sound so delicious. I like the simple flavors which let the fresh fish shine through. There’s nothing like fresh pan-fried lake fish. I bet it’s a fun experience catching these too.
Beth Neels
We used to pack up son and he would end up falling asleep in the car! It’s too far past my bedtime now, lol! Thanks Michelle!
Jen
My first attempt at cooking smelts will be this weekend. I’m a little nervous as I’ve never deboned a fish before, but love how yours turned out in the pick and can’t wait to try.
Beth Neels
If the smelt are small enough, they do not have to be deboned, for adults. The bones are so small they are perfectly fine to chew. If the smelt have gotten some size to them, you want to spread them open and pull the whole rib cage out. This can usually be done in one step if you grab the mid line bone. You can also take a fork and stick it along the mid line bone, from the skin side of the fish and gently pull the meat off. This should eliminate 99% of the bones and you should end up with the whole rib cage, pretty much intact. For smaller children, I would make sure they are totally deboned. Thanks Jen! I hope this helps!
Andrea Metlika
I like that these are lightly coated. That way you get more of the flavor than coating.
Beth Neels
Yes, I don’t like them if they are drowned in breading, you can’t even taste the fish! Thanks Andrea!
christine
I’ve never had smelt. I’m sure it’s available to me here in MA, so now I’m going to keep my eye out because this looks yummy.
Beth Neels
They may be available near the ocean, from what I have read! If you can find them, definitely, give them a try! Thanks Christine!
krissy
i had never thought to deep fry these before. what a great idea. they turned out amazing.
Beth Neels
They are just shallow fried. You can deep fry, but they are just as good, or better than deep fried. Thanks Krissy!
Beth Pierce
What a fun recipe! I will have to give this a try; I’ve never cooked smelt before!
Beth Neels
They are quite delicious! If you have to have to find them, give them a try! Thanks Beth!