The Best Way To Clean Smelt Fish

Nicknamed the "French fry of the lake," smelt are a bite-sized, mild-flavored fish that are best served lightly dredged and deep-fried. On average, they grow to about five inches in length, making them perfect for dipping and enjoying by the dozen. As you'd expect, it takes a school of smelt to feed a crowd. Cleaning a bunch of tiny fish can be a tedious, time-consuming task. To make the process fast and easy, try this three-step technique. Using a sharp pair of kitchen shears, it takes almost no time to prepare a bucketful of fresh, delicious smelt ready to crisp to perfection.

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You'll start by snipping off the head just behind the gills and fins. Then, turn the fish belly-up and create a slit from the neck to the vent to open the abdominal cavity. Use your shears to swiftly scoop out the guts as well as the reproductive materials. There will be a whitish liquid called milt in male fish and in females, there will be yellow eggs, called roe. If you're close to a sink and would like a more thorough clean, rinse the abdominal cavity under running water with the help of a dedicated toothbrush. The whole process can take about five seconds per fish once you get into a rhythm.

It's not necessary to clean your smelt fish before cooking and eating them. Every part of the smelt is safe to eat, from the head to the tail fin. Many people prefer cooking and eating them whole. However, leaving the guts intact can impart a bitter, unpleasant taste to your final dish. It's worthwhile to take a few seconds to remove the innards from each fish to make the most of the smelt's mild, delicate flavor.

Whether you choose to clean your smelt before cooking or leave them whole, there's no need to debone them. As with other tiny fish, like sardines and anchovies, smelt have small, tender bones which are soft and add a slight, satisfying crunch to every bite. Their scales, too, are small and will not negatively affect the taste or texture of the dish. After they have been beheaded and gutted, your smelt are ready to fry.

Compared to sardines and anchovies, smelt have a mild flavor without an overwhelming, fishy taste, with a sweet scent reminiscent of cucumbers. Their mellow flavor and snackable size make them ideal for frying and dipping like French fries. So much so that, throughout the port towns of Italy, you can find fried smelt sold by street food vendors, served in a paper cone and punctured with a skewer for easy dipping. 

Once they've been cleaned to your liking, turning your smelt into a crispy, dippable delicacy couldn't be easier. Start by placing your smelt on a paper towel in a single layer and pat dry. Removing moisture from the surface of your fish ensures that they will fry up crispy, and excess water can cause the oil to pop and splatter. Lightly dredging in flour before frying will give your smelt a simple crunch that complements your favorite dipping sauce. For a taste of Italy's Amalfi Coast, batter and combine your smelt with other seafood and veggies to make a restaurant-inspired fritto misto.

For the crispiest smelt, shallow fry it in a pan over medium-high heat and cook in small batches. Overcrowding your pan will cause the smelt to steam, rather than fry to a crispy finish. Cook to golden brown, then drain on a wire cooking rack. Now, your crispy fried smelt is ready to serve with a side of tartar sauce or this homemade aioli.