Smelt is a kind of fish that belongs to the family of Osmeridae that is commonly seen in the Pacific Ocean as well as in the Atlantic Ocean. The fish is commonly used as garnish in special dishes like sushi. Its appearance is similar with the appearance of salmon but it is relatively smaller than salmon. To learn how to cook smelt, it is helpful to look at the different recipes that use this fish as main or key ingredient. By following the simple recipes below, you will not have a difficult time preparing and cooking this seafood.
French Fried Smelt
If you are looking for an easy-to-prepare but tasty dish, you can try this simple recipe. The ingredients in the dish include 15 to 20 smelts, a medium size egg, a cup of flat beer, a cup of three tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon salt as well as a cup of oil for frying.
Wash the fishes thoroughly with cold water. Dry the fishes. Pour oil in a small saucepan and heat over medium fire. Beat egg in a small bowl and add the beer, salt and flour. Mix until smooth. Coat the fishes with the batter. Fry the fishes in the saucepan for six minutes. Use a strainer to drain excess oil from the fishes. Sprinkle salt for additional flavor before serving.
Baked Smelts in Orange Sauce
To prepare this unique and tasty dish, you will need two pounds of pressed smelts, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ cup melted butter. In addition to these ingredients, you need a teaspoon of grated orange rind and ¼ cup orange juice.
The first step in preparing the dish is to grease a baking pan. Arrange all the fishes in a baking pan. Sprinkle pepper and salt. In a small bowl, mix orange juice, orange rind and butter. Pour the mixture over the fishes. Place the baking dish in an oven that was preheated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for seven minutes to 10 minutes. Serves six to eight people.
Chicago Fish Soup
The ingredients in this appetizer include ¼ pound smelt, ¼ pound whitefish and ½ pound salmon steak. The other ingredients that will be used in the dish are a medium size onion, two cloves garlic, ½ cup thinly sliced celery, three tablespoons butter, a small can of tomatoes, a cup of diced potatoes and a small can of beer. Aside from these, you will use a teaspoon of dried crushed basil, a teaspoon of dried crushed oregano, a teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and a cup of fresh corn kernels.
Saute garlic, onion, celery and green pepper for 15 minutes. Add potatoes, tomatoes and beer. Stir and add red peppers, basil, oregano, pepper and salt. Wait for the dish to simmer. Add the corn, salmon, whitefish and smelt. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.
