How to fry smelt in a frying pan

This little fish brings with it fresh ground cucumbers - foreshadowing the onset of spring in St. Petersburg, because it is in the cold waters of the Baltic Sea that the most delicious smelt is found. This fish in the ear is good, marinated, baked in the oven and on coals, salted and dried. But the most popular of all is fried smelt - it is prepared with pleasure by skilled housewives and even by men who are not experienced in culinary matters.

This fish from the salmon family is rich in vitamins, macro and microelements, it contains a lot of healthy light protein and very few calories. It is best to eat smelt whole, with bones, and today Nachalnikov.net will teach you how to prepare the most delicious fried smelt with a crispy crust, while retaining all the beneficial substances in it.

Step 1. Select smelt.

A fresh, high-quality product is half the success of a prepared dish; in our case, this is especially important, because, as you know, fish cannot be second freshness. You will have to look for places where you can “catch” freshly caught fish - from private fishermen, who usually part with their catch early in the morning. You can find smelt in small fish shops and large shopping centers. The latter often offer fresh frozen fish, and the price for it will not be cheap - 600-1000 rubles per kg. The average cost of this spring fish ranges from 70 to 300 rubles, depending on the size, place of catch and freshness.

By the way, about the sizes. For frying, large fish - 20-30 cm, and smaller ones - 10 cm are suitable; in the second case, it can be cooked whole without removing the head. There is less hassle, but uneviscerated fish is a little bitter - due to the insides, although to many this seems like a minor drawback.

Step 2. Clean the fish.

Under running water, we clean the smelt from scales, then in a cunning way, using scissors, we remove the head and entrails. The trick is that this is done in one movement: an incision is made from the side of the ridge at the base of the head, and, without unclenching the scissors, the head is torn off, and the intestines and other unnecessary fragments are removed with it, and the caviar remains inside.

Step 3. Make sure you have everything you need for frying.

And this is: a frying pan with a thick bottom, vegetable oil, 2 raw chicken eggs, flour at the rate of one tablespoon for 2 medium-sized fish, salt, pepper or other spices that you like, ceramic dishes for serving.

Step 4. The frying process itself.

How to fry smelt? The best recipe is the one that has become traditional for your family, inherited from your grandmother and mother. But if you are planning to enjoy this spring St. Petersburg fish, but don’t have a ready-made recipe at hand, we will help you! So.

Step 4. Serving.

Everything is simple here - we select the most beautiful ceramic dishes, lay out fried smelt, decorate with fresh lettuce leaves and tomato slices.

But that is not all.

You can make a wonderful appetizer from smelt, but for this we will have to marinate it. Place the fried fish carcasses on the bottom of an enamel bowl. Separately, prepare the marinade - chop the onion, carrots, add salted water (there should be enough water to cover all the fish), add peppercorns, sugar, bay leaf and cook it all for 5 minutes.

Add 9% vinegar (100 g per half liter of water), turn off the heat and let stand for 4-5 minutes. Pour the prepared marinade over the fish, let it cool and put it in the refrigerator. It is ideal if the fish sits for 3 days, but those who are especially impatient can eat and enjoy a delicious snack within a day. Bon appetit!

Smelt is one of the most beloved fish in Russia. Despite its small size, it has become one of the symbols of the largest country on the planet. And all this thanks to its bright, rich taste and ease of preparation. Do you want to learn how to fry smelt in a frying pan correctly? Then follow our instructions!

Basic recipe

We offer you a classic recipe for preparing this amazing fish. It is elementary, but the resulting dish will surprise you with its excellent taste! From the ingredients

need to purchase:

• Smelt - 1 kg;
• Seasoning for fish and salt - to taste;
• Flour - 4 tbsp;
• Vegetable oil - needed for frying.

Preparation:

1. If the fish is frozen, let it thaw at room temperature, if not, start cleaning;
2. Clean the smelt from scales and internal organs, rinse thoroughly under running water (it’s most convenient to do this by first placing it in a colander);
3. Place the fish on a paper towel. If you have time, let it lie down for a while and dry; if not, get wet so that excess moisture is absorbed;
4. Mix flour, seasonings and salt. Pour these ingredients into a cling film bag, and then start adding smelt to them in portions. To ensure that it is completely coated in the dry mix, do not put too many fish, turn and shake them until you achieve the desired effect;
5. Heat a frying pan and vegetable oil in it, lay out the resulting semi-finished product also gradually, in small portions;
6. It is necessary to fry the smelt until an appetizing crust appears (≈2 minutes on each side);
7. As a side dish you can serve sauerkraut salad, pickled beets or traditional potatoes.

Fish with a surprise

If you choose a large smelt, you can safely stuff it, thereby improving the taste and satiety of the dish.

Ingredients:

• Fish - 500 gr.;
• Onions - 2 pcs.;
• Eggs - 5 pcs.;
• Breadcrumbs - 200 gr.;
• Sour cream - 100 gr.;
• Greens (parsley, dill or anything else that appeals to you) - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Clean the smelt from scales, and get rid of the entrails, first cutting off the head and without damaging the abdomen, so that you get a kind of “envelope”. Rinse fish and herbs under running water;
2. Boil 3 hard-boiled eggs, chop them, mix with sour cream and finely chopped herbs;
3. Beat the remaining 2 eggs, pour breadcrumbs into a wide bowl;
4. Carefully stuff the smelt, dip it in beaten eggs, then in breadcrumbs, and place in a preheated frying pan. How long do you think you should fry fish? That's right: ≈2 minutes on both sides;
5. Serve the resulting dish with fresh vegetables. Or do you have better ideas?

Smelt fried in the oven

1. We need 1 kg. smelt, lemon, herbs (parsley, dill), spices (hot pepper, coriander, basil and bay leaf), salt, olive oil.

2. First, clean the smelt from the insides. We clean it in the same way as described in the previous recipe with tearing off the head.

3. Place the pre-washed and dried fish in one container. Sprinkle spices and a teaspoon of salt on the fish. Add broken bay leaf and herbs. We also add the juice from half a lemon to the smelt. After thorough mixing, cover the fish with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

4. Before putting the smelt in the oven, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the fish and mix well. Place the fish in one row on a baking sheet and foil. Cover the fish with foil. Place the fish in the oven, preheated to 200 degrees for half an hour.

5. We recommend pouring lemon juice over the finished dish.

Fish under a coat of omelet

This recipe is suitable for those who love especially tender smelt. The secret is that fish filled with egg mixture retains its texture perfectly and becomes quite elastic.

Ingredients:

• Fish - 500 gr.;
• Onions - 2 pcs.;
• Eggs - 3 pcs.;
• Milk - 50 gr.;
• Salt, pepper - to taste.

Preparation:

1. Remove scales and entrails from the smelt, rinse under running water;
2. Cut the onion into half rings and fry until half cooked;
3. Beat eggs with milk;
4. Pepper and salt the fish, place in a frying pan, heated and greased with oil;
5. Fry the smelt for about 2 minutes until a nice crust forms. When the product is completely ready, sprinkle it with onions and pour over the omelette;
6. Cover the resulting mixture with a lid and fry it for about 5 minutes until the egg mixture becomes elastic;
7. The prepared dish is independent, but if you serve it with a salad of fresh vegetables, you will not regret it.

Frying smelt is quick and easy, and the most pleasant thing is that as a result you get a full-fledged dish in which you can feel not only an excellent taste, but also an original Russian flavor!

There is a simple and sure way to accurately determine that real, genuine spring has arrived in St. Petersburg. No, it’s not the sun and not the warmth - it happened that spring came to our city when the famous icicles were still hanging menacingly from the roofs of Nevsky and Petrogradka. This sign is the smell of fried smelt, similar to the smell of cucumbers, alluring, filling the courtyards and coming from every front door.

For several weeks, frying smelt turns into the national sport of the city on the Neva. Then, when the excitement subsides a little, St. Petersburg residents, fed up with smelt, begin to get creative in every possible way - this fish is dried, smoked, pickled, . And yet - I’m not lying, ask anyone - nothing better than smelt, which was simply rolled in flour and fried in oil, has yet been invented.

Fried smelt in Leningrad style

Peel the smelt from scales, gut it (the caviar, if you get it inside, some people fry it, but I prefer to salt it - it’s amazing how good it is), dry it and add salt. Bread the smelt in flour, shaking off the excess, for which there is one simple and elegant way: sift a little flour through a sieve into a flat plate, place the fish on top and sift a little more flour on top, so very little will go away. Pour odorless vegetable oil into a saucepan about half a centimeter deep, and fry the smelt until golden over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on both sides.

Any complications with this simple recipe, as a rule, can only worsen it, but there are a couple of exceptions. First, try adding turmeric to the flour, which will give the fish a golden-yellowish color and a pleasant, subtle aroma. Second, experiment with flour—rye, corn, or whole wheat flour can add new flavors and textures to fried smelt. Well, fried smelt, regardless of the nuances of the recipe, should be served in the simplest way - with a slice of lemon and vegetables, only lightly seasoned with freshly ground pepper and sprinkled with finely chopped dill.

Smelt or smelt is one of the most popular fish for frying in most Russian families. The thing is that it is not expensive at all, but the taste is incredibly rich, tasty, juicy, and even with an appetizing, beautiful crispy crust. The main feature of this small fish is its unusual aroma, reminiscent of fresh cucumbers, but, unfortunately, not everyone can smell it. You can preserve such a flavor only if you know how to fry smelt in a frying pan correctly.

Smelt recipes

Fried smelt

Shutterstock

It is generally accepted that the most delicious is fried smelt.

How to cook

:

1. The fish needs to be cleaned, the entrails removed, rolled in flour or breadcrumbs, salted and then fried in a frying pan in vegetable oil.
2. Rusks and flour can be pre-mixed with spices (for example, curry, rosemary, thyme) and salt.
3. You only need to fry for a short time, 3-4 minutes on each side.
4. Pre-heat the oil, then the fish will get an appetizing crispy crust.

Smelt soup

Dried smelt: recipes, cooking rules

Smelt is a fatty, tasty fish; fresh it has a pleasant cucumber smell. You can wither it quickly, since it is small in size, quickly salted and dries in literally 3-4 days.

Read more
What you need
: 500 grams of fresh smelt; 3-4 medium sized potatoes; 1 piece of leek or regular onion; greens - to taste; Cherry tomatoes.

How to cook

:

1. Make broth from pre-prepared fish.
2. You don’t need to cook it for long, 3-4 minutes after boiling, then add the potatoes, cut into cubes and onion, cut into rings.
3. Before the end of cooking, add greens and cherry tomatoes, cut into two halves, to the broth.
4. The result is a delicious, rich and aromatic soup.

Omelette with smelt and tartar sauce

Needed (for 2 servings)

: 4 pieces of medium-sized smelt; 4 pcs chicken eggs; 1 glass of milk; greens - to taste; 1 piece lime; salt - to taste.

How to cook

:

1. The smelt needs to be cleaned, washed and fried until golden brown.
2. Mix the eggs well with milk, add salt, add herbs, a little grated garlic and pour the omelette mixture over the fish.
3. Serve this dish with tartar sauce; to quickly prepare it, take mayonnaise, herbs, olives, carnichons, black olives, and mix everything.
4. Garnish the dish with lime.

Smelt in marinade

Shutterstock

To prepare the marinade you need: 0.5 liters of water;

1 piece of carrot;

1 piece of onion;

1 tbsp. spoon of sugar; 1.5 tbsp. spoons of salt; 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar; spices, herbs.

How to cook

:

1. Cut onions and carrots into rings.
2. Bring water to a boil, add onions and carrots, salt, sugar and spices.
3. Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat to low and let the marinade simmer.
4. Then remove from heat, cool and pour in vinegar. Fry the smelt and add herbs and onions in a tall bowl.
5. Then pour in the marinade and refrigerate for 12 hours.

Dried smelt

Dried smelt is very easy to prepare and will be an excellent addition to beer.

Shutterstock

Necessary

: 500 grams of fish, preferably small ones; salt, about 50 gr.

How to cook

:

1. Peel the smelt, gut it, rinse and dry, then sprinkle with salt.
2. The fish should be left for one day at room temperature, after a few hours the salt will dissolve and the smelt will give juice.
3. Then the fish needs to be strung on a thread (preferably nylon) and hung on the balcony, first in a bunch.
4. You need to place a basin under it, as the liquid will drain.
5. In a few hours the fish will dry out, it will need to be distributed on a thread so that the fish do not touch.
6. The smelt needs to hang in the shade for several days so that it dries thoroughly and hardens.

How long to fry smelt in a frying pan

The question of how long to fry smelt in a frying pan today worries everyone who chooses to cook this fish for lunch or dinner.
Professional chefs recommend frying any small fish in a frying pan for no more than 10 minutes. At the same time, allow about 5 minutes on each side if the seafood carcasses are large. If the fish is small, it is enough to fry it on one side for 3 minutes and the same on the other. In this case, it makes no difference whether you fry smelt in batter or without it; the cooking time for pan-fried fish is the same for any recipe.

Frying time begins from the moment you place the seafood in a frying pan in hot oil.

Proper cleaning of smelt for frying, methods

If you don’t know how to fry smelt in a frying pan, whether to peel it or not before frying, then this information will be very useful to you.

As you know, small fish, and not only smelt, but also capelin, sprat, etc., are often not cleaned, leaving them whole, this is quite understandable and reasonable - uncleaned fish, as cooks are sure, releases fat and juice when cooked, the result is much fatter and more tender. But do not forget that the insides that remain in the product can bring with them a not very pleasant bitter taste, and therefore you can choose whether to peel the smelt before frying or not, and we will tell you how to do it correctly.

You can clean smelt in one of two ways.

1. The scales of each fish are removed, the abdomen is ripped open, all the insides are taken out, and washed.
2. Each fish is cleaned of scales, a small incision is made along the ridge and from the belly, the head is separated along with bones and entrails, and washed under water.

Attention! If the fish is frozen uncleaned, before cleaning it should be completely defrosted and cleaned using any convenient method. If you purchased fresh smelt and want to put it in the freezer for storage, it is best to clean the seafood before freezing and then store it.

Ask the chef!

Didn't manage to cook the dish? Don't be shy, ask me personally.

Fried smelt in an omelette photo

Smelt has a very interesting feature.
Freshly caught smelt smells like fresh cucumbers. Yes, yes, not the sea, not fish, but fresh cucumbers. It is by this sign that the freshness of smelt can be determined. This fish is popular among residents of the northwestern part of Russia and the Far East. Today we will tell you how to cook very small smelt without much effort.

This recipe will especially appeal to those who love fried eggs, fried fish and do not like to clean and gut fish. Surprised?

How to fry smelt in a frying pan with a crust:

How to prepare smelt, recipes step by step right now.

To prepare you will need:

• — Smelt – 1 kg.
• — Eggs – 2 pcs.
• — High-grade flour – 2 tables. lie
• - A bunch of dill.
• — Ground coriander, salt (preferably coarse), ground black pepper.
• — Sunflower oil for frying.

How to prepare crusty fish in egg batter.

We clean seafood in any convenient way; after cleaning, be sure to rinse each fish and place it on a plate to dry.

We put a small dill sprig in each belly and sprinkle a little of the carcass with a mixture of salt and spices.

Beat the egg until foamy, add flour and mix the ingredients thoroughly until the mixture becomes uniform without lumps.

Heat the oil in a frying pan; it’s best when it starts to sizzle.

Dip each fish in egg batter and then place in hot oil. Fry large carcasses for about five minutes on each side, smaller ones for 3-4 minutes over low heat.

Lay a paper towel on a dish, place the smelt from the frying pan onto it, and let the excess oil drain off a little. Fried smelt fish with crust is ready! It is best served with rice or boiled potatoes.

The second recipe for pan-fried smelt with crust

Products:

• - 1 kg. smelt.
• - 1 spoon of starch.
• - 2 spoons of flour.
• - Salt to taste.
• — Any oil for frying foods.

Cooking method.

1. Clean the fish, rinse under running water, and drain in a colander.
2. Mix flour, starch and salt in one bowl. If you wish, you can add some spices to this mixture.
3. Roll each fish in your flour mixture and place in a frying pan heated with oil to fry.
4. First place the fried delicacy on a napkin in order to eliminate excess oil obtained during frying, and then you can transfer the smelt onto a dish, season with a little lemon juice and serve with some sauce.

On a note! Seafood can be fried in batter or flour, either gutted or with all the insides, both with and without the head. If you find caviar during cleaning, it is best to leave it; the taste of the finished dish will be very interesting, and the dish itself will also become very healthy.

How to fry smelt in a frying pan in flour

For the batter, take half a glass of light beer, a little vegetable oil, salt, and a little flour. Mix the ingredients until the consistency is medium thick. Dip the prepared fish into the resulting batter and place in a frying pan heated with oil. Fry for a couple of minutes on each side. Make sure the batter doesn't turn brown.

You can also use a traditional batter recipe. Break the egg and beat together with pepper and salt. Place a layer of flour on a wide plate. Dip the fish in the beaten egg, then in the flour. Place in a heated frying pan and fry until done. It will work out well if you roll it only in egg, without flour.

How to fry smelt in a frying pan with a crust in flour and salt

If you don’t yet know how to fry smelt in a frying pan deliciously, this recipe is a godsend for you.

Ingredients:

• - Smelt - kilogram.
• - Flour - 3 heaped spoons.
• — Sunflower oil – 3-4 tablespoons.
• - Coarse salt - a couple of pinches.

Cooking process step by step.

1. After cleaning, washing and drying the fish from moisture, you can start cooking it.
2. Roll each carcass in a mixture of flour and salt, and then place them in oil heated to at least 60 degrees in a frying pan.
3. Fry the fish on both sides until crispy and golden brown.
4. Before serving, it is better to place the smelt on a paper towel or a separate bowl to remove excess fat from it. All is ready!

• The most suitable side dish for small fried fish is crushed or whole boiled potatoes, rice, stewed vegetables, and unsweetened oatmeal. You can also serve seafood with any sauce you like.
• A sauce made from half a teaspoon of lemon juice, a clove of chopped garlic, several sprigs of crushed fresh dill, a spoonful of mayonnaise and a spoonful of sour cream goes well with fried seafood delicacies.
• Another good option for fish sauce is sour cream sauce. To prepare it, mix slightly heated fat sour cream (4-5 tablespoons) with a spoonful of hot tea flour, a pinch of salt, pepper and paprika. Allow the product to cool and you can serve it in a separate bowl or pour it over your fish before serving.
• Fried smelt also goes well with fresh vegetables; for example, you can serve your delicacy with any vegetable slices or with a salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and Chinese cabbage, seasoned with vegetable oil.

Now you know how to fry smelt in a frying pan

fast and simple. By following our instructions, tips and recommendations, you will certainly always have delicious and appetizing fried smelt on the table; do not forget to save the cooking recipes described here in your cookbook.

Bon appetit and good family evenings!

Recipe Fried smelt. Calorie, chemical composition and nutritional value.

Nutritional value and chemical composition of “Fried smelt”.

The table shows the nutritional content (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals) per 100 grams of edible portion.

The energy value of fried smelt is 202.9 kcal.

Primary Source: Created in the application by the user. Read more.

** This table shows the average levels of vitamins and minerals for an adult. If you want to know the norms taking into account your gender, age and other factors, then use the “My Healthy Diet” application.

Smelt cooked in a frying pan

You don’t need any special knowledge or skills to fry this fish—even an inept housewife can do it. And you won’t need any unusual ingredients: everything you need for this can be found in the refrigerator and kitchen cabinet shelves.

What you will need:

• fish;
• a pair of fresh chicken eggs;
• flour for dredging;
• lean;
• salt.

1. Many people are interested in how to fry smelt: to clean it or not - everything will depend on the type of fish and its size. Small ones don’t need to be cleaned, but large specimens can be scraped a little with a special device or knife. Then culinary experts advise separating the head, removing the entrails and rinsing it.
2. Add salt to taste.
3. Whisk the eggs, put the frying pan on the fire, add oil and heat it up.
4. Now you should dip each fish first in eggs, then in flour and place them in the pan tightly next to each other.
5. Fry until golden brown, first on one side, then on the other.

Serve with any side dish, such as boiled potatoes and fresh vegetables.